Mozambique: Every day 17 people test positive for HIV in Maputo province

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Mozambique: Every day 17 people test positive for HIV in Maputo province

2:42 CAT | 22 Nov 2022

File photo: Carta

Health units in Maputo province register 17 new HIV infections every day, which is equivalent to 170 cases in 10 days or around 510 a month.

Provincial Director of Health Daniel Chemane told ‘Noticicas’ that the situation was of concern to the health authorities, and that a change in attitudes was urgently needed to contain levels of infection.

At the moment, Maputo province assists around 200,000 patients on antiretroviral treatment (ART), Chemane said.

“The rate of new HIV infections in Maputo province is extremely worrying,” Chemane said. “After Tete province, Maputo is the most affected province and data from this year’s UNAIDS report show that Maputo is at risk of increasing new cases, despite the interventions carried out.”

“We call on young people to take HIV tests and take the lead in the fight against this virus. People who have HIV should get treatment, and those most exposed should be tested every three months and those less exposed every six months,” Chemane stressed.

One measure adopted to facilitate the treatment of patients who cannot reach health units is the delivery of patients’ medicines to private pharmacies. The health sector has also started delivering enough antiretroviral drugs for a period of three months at a time, or in some cases even a semester.

In the first phase of this new scheme, 552 patients (240 are in Beluluane, 65 in Machava II and 247 in Matola II) received medication in private pharmacies in Matola and Boane.

By Marta Afonso

Source: Carta de Moçambique