Southern Province celebrates significant progress in HIV/AIDS treatment

In a landmark announcement during World AIDS Day commemorations in Monze, Southern Province officials highlighted a major breakthrough in HIV/AIDS treatment, with approximately 130,294 patients achieving viral suppression out of the 155,562 individuals receiving treatment.

Provincial Minister Credo Nanjuwa credited the success to the government's consistent supply of anti-retroviral drugs to all health centres across the province. Speaking through Provincial Permanent Secretary Namani Monze, Nanjuwa emphasised the critical importance of viral suppression in reducing HIV transmission.

"This is an important development in the HIV/AIDS elimination agenda," Nanjuwa stated. "Once virally suppressed, people living with the virus have reduced chances of passing it on to uninfected partners, thereby reducing overall infections."

Despite the positive achievements, Nanjuwa also highlighted ongoing challenges. He pointed out that discrimination and stigma continue to pose significant barriers to equitable health service delivery. "Unless stigma and discrimination are fully addressed, the policy of universal health coverage and leaving no one behind will remain a mere pipedream," he warned.

Nanjuwa specifically identified vulnerable groups most affected by discrimination, including adolescents, young people, women, persons with disabilities, and sex workers.

Monze District Health Director Dr Gocho Kapoba announced that 19,449 people are currently on HIV treatment in the district. He noted a promising decline in infections, with numbers dropping from 1,470 in 2023 to 1,016 in 2024. However, he also reported 169 HIV/AIDS-related deaths from January 2024 to date.