Percentage of HIV prevalence higher in women than men – Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health has stated that about 76 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS are on Anti-Retroviral (ARV) treatment.

The Ministry has also disclosed that HIV is more prevalent in females than in males with percentages standing at 63 for women and 35 for men.

President Edgar Lungu has however noted that the percentages could even be higher for men than women except that men usually do not go for checkups as women have a high health seeking behaviour.

The President said this at State House in Lusaka yesterday during the cluster presentation on enhancing human development on the implementation of the 7th National Development Plan.

The Head of State has since called for sensitization and encouragement of men to develop interest in going medical checkups to know their health status.

And Ministry of Health Chitalu Chilufya said the Ministry is among other things encouraging both men and women to start using self-testing kits to check their HIV status from their homes.

He said men are also encouraged to escorts their expectant wives for antenatal visits so that they can be tested together from health facilities.

Meanwhile, Dr. Chilufya noted that the malaria mortality cases currently stands at 50%.

Dr. Chilufya said through various interventions that the Ministry of Health has put in place to reduce malaria cases across the country especially the Indoor Residue Spray (IRS), malaria cases in Southern and Lusaka Provinces have been reduced towards elimination.

The Minister noted that of the two provinces, Lusaka Province has reduced drastically.

However, Dr. Chilufya stated that his Ministry will continue implementing the interventions to ensure that the disease is eliminated in all parts of the country.

Source: Lusaka Times