BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE – Nearly four in seven men with HIV in Eswatini are aware they have it and are taking the rightful medication.
This is according to Eswatini Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA), report which was shared today as commemoration of World’s AIDS day.
World AIDS Day is a day that brings together people from around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic.
The day is an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the pandemic and encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care around the world.
It has become one of the most widely recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have died, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.
The report was compiled after a survey was done; this was a household-based national survey among adults (defined as those aged 15 years and older) to measure the impact of the national HIV response.
Conducted from May 2021 through November 2021, SHIMS 3offered HIV counselling and testing with return of results and collected information about uptake of HIV care and treatment services.
According to the report men have since warmed up to the idea of having their status checked and taking medication when necessary, the report stated that this was a foreign behaviour before.
“Reaching men with HIV-related prevention, treatment, care and support services is vital. Men and adolescent boys make up nearly 49 per cent of the global population of 34.3 million adults living with HIV and taking medication,” read the report.
Clinical Psychologist Innocentia Ndwandwe said these were good news and called for more men to use December for checking their status.
“Here is a call for a global shift in the discussion on HIV and gender that it should become more inclusive of men and encourage their greater positive engagement in all aspects of the AIDS response and in advancing gender equality,” said Ndwandwe.
She further said sexual and reproductive health is not the responsibility of women alone. Focused, integrated sexual and reproductive health services must be made available to men and adolescent boys she said.
Worth noting is that Eswatini was the first African country to achieve 95-95-95 global HIV target. The World Health Organisation (WHO) compiled the reporting stating these three months ago.
This means that 95 per cent of people living with HIV in Eswatini know their status that 95per cent of people who know their HIV-positive status are accessing treatment and that 95 per cent of people on treatment have suppressed viral load.
