Kavango West shows increase in people on ARV treatment

Chief medical officer at the Kavango West Health Directorate Beata Siteketa says the region currently has 7 358 active people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, comprising 5 123 females and 2 235 males.

Siteketa revealed the figures during a belated commemoration of World AIDS Day held under the theme ‘Take the right path’ at Tondoro village in the Kavango West region last week.

She said the region has made great progress in the fight against HIV-AIDS with the number of people on pre-exposure prophylaxis currently standing at 3 000 from 27 in 2021.

“We remain committed to ensuring that all communities, in all parts of the region who need HIV services have access to the interventions provided by the government free of charge. Our programmes and interventions have worked and are working well”, she said.

Siteketa also highlighted that the HIV prevalence rate in Kavango West has shown a measurable decline due to strategic testing campaigns, increased awareness, and robust prevention programs.

The 2024 mid-year statistics indicate a prevalence rate of 6.9% from 8.2% in 2021, she said, while encouraging people to continue to work together in solidarity to end HIV-AIDS.

Speaking at the same event, Maria Hausiku from Tondoro Support Group and who had lived with HIV for 29 years, said she tested positive in 1995 and has been on ARVs since 2005 because her CD4 counts were high at the time, and she could not take medication.

In her motivational speech, she encouraged everyone to get tested and know where they stand with their health status, saying the government has made it possible and easy for people to have access to HIV counselling and testing services.

“It is not like in the previous years where one had to wait up to six months to access their results. And for us who are on medication, let’s take our medicine on time, go for follow-ups and normalise eating and reducing the use of alcohol,” said Hausiku.