Saturday, November 2, 2024

HIV/AIDS remains a source of grave concern – Syamujaye

Share

Eastern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Euralia Syamujaye says HIV and AIDS has remained an issue of grave concern in communities and at work places.

Mrs. Syamujaye says government departments have not been spared by the HIV/AIDS pandemic hence the need for concerted efforts from all government departments to mitigate the scourge.

She was speaking at the Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) management course for government departments held at Crystal Springs Hotel in Chipata today.

Mrs. Syamujaye said the participants should be serious crusaders against the spread of the pandemic in a bid to lower the prevalence of the disease.

She however, lamented that some people have a tendency of attending workshops without implementing what they have learned.

“When you go back to the offices you must be professionals in dealing with HIV and AIDS issues at your work places and also in communities so that together you disseminate information which will assist the people,” she added.

Mrs. Syamujaye said all the departments that were represented at the workshop had a very important role to play hence the need for them to be committed towards the fight against HIV/AIDS.

And speaking earlier, Provincial AIDS Coordination Advisor Emmanuel Chama said 64 people from government line ministries will be trained on ART from all the eight districts in the region.

Mr. Chama said eight people from each district would be trained and challenged participants to role out the programme for the benefit of communities and workmates.

The departments in attendance were Health, Education, Office of the President and Works and Supply.

Others departments were Police, Prisons, Culture and Zambia News and Information Services.

HIV/AIDS threatens productivity, profitability and the welfare of employees and their families. Workplace HIV/AIDS policies and programmes can play a vital role in raising awareness around HIV, preventing HIV infection and caring for people living with HIV.

ENDS/DM/AM/ZANIS

18 COMMENTS

  1. No.1 good move mrs syamujaye but get to the roots of it all first i.e poverty. sex workers will tell you thats how they try and make ends meet.

  2. Confidentiality still remains the biggest problem in Zambia. Records of HIV people are shared/availed to 3rd parties without consent from the affected persons. This, by and large, causes most people to shun the facilities put in place by certain employers and government for fear of retribution from peers.

    There is also need to for govt to invest substantially in equipment needed to monitor the response to treatment for those on ART vis-a-vis the TDM apparatus.

  3. “Eastern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Euralia Syamujaye says HIV and AIDS has remained an issue of grave concern in communities and at work places. Mrs. Syamujaye says government departments have not been spared by the HIV/AIDS pandemic hence the need for concerted efforts from all government departments to mitigate the scourge.”

    Start with educating the people what is real data is on the ground. Today when I was going to Church, I read nice message on the TRAM which gave a glimpse of HIV as in when it was first discovered, what numbers of HIV infected people have been recorded from 1985, Think 1990, 1995, 2000,2005, 2006 and the infection rate for 2008. This is/was great news.

  4. #4 continued.
    I thus ask relevant stakeholders to look into doing the Zambia at home in Zambia to educate people on these numbers. Also, information regarding ARV distribution and distribution-points were indicated in that TRAM message.

    I recommend that the next generation of Cell-phones must be tailored to show messages on HIV numbers infected people in our country in particular and the world in general for the current Infected PEOPLE and most recent Infection HIV Rate.

    This would help keep people constantly awake of their actions all day long.

  5. On w w w. lusakatimes.c om/ ? p=5969″Students Partnership World Zambia Country Director John Kalage said Dance for Life initiative aims at bringing HIV and AIDS education to young people through music and dance, inspiring them to take action to push back the epidemic… young people account for almost 45 percent of all new HIV infections with an estimated 5.5million young people living with HIV today.”
    These statistics are worrying unless there is a mistake in the reporting.How can we have “5.5million young people ” out of 11-12 million Zambians being infected with HIV?Also,how can “young people account for almost 45 percent of all new HIV infections”?
    Zambian young people,let us be careful!

  6. MADAM MINISTER, WHAT DO U EXPECT IF U HAVE IMMORAL LEADERS LIKE JONAS SHAKAFUSWA? ZAMBIAN FIRST LEADERS ARE NO EXCEPTION TO THE RULE.

  7. This problem will be there for as long as the commercial sex workers will be on the loose. Some do it privately others publicly, which ever way think twice about it.
    Thats why some women take the law into their hands when it comes to dealing with prostitutes, I have already dealt with one! To the men picking up these prostitutes think of your families at home, not just your wives but those innocent children who really need you so they can have a meal, attend school or even afford a birthday present. You are a great shame.

  8. It is safer to have sex with a prostitutes than with some married cheating person. Prostitutes use condoms and frequently vist the doctors for medical checkups, where as most married people dont.

  9. Government is the best at dailing to implement HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programs. The thing about countries in southern africa is that they do not monitor and evaluate their programs as a result, they dont know if thew investment they are putting in a program is worth it or not. So many companies in zed have workplace policies that have had no monitoring nor evalution ever since inception.

    I’m still waiting for an organization that continuously monitors its HIV/AIDS programs and evaluates the benefits against the costs.

  10. While agree with the current measures being taken to combat HIV in the country, I also strongly feel that measures to control and regulate food stuffs and other drugs being brought into the country be put in place. This is just not a health problem but a matter of security concern. Wake up before the whole country gets wiped out from this silent lethal weapon.

  11. Unfortunately due to high levels of povert,ARV’S are not performing well in some individuals because the strong drug is landing on an empty stomach which is not advisable, please LORD help us before we become extinct like dinossouraces.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading