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Bulawayo Bureau
THE country has recorded a 7 percent increase in sexually transmitted infection (STI) cases, with 288 127 people seeking treatment last year against 268 353 recorded the previous year.

According to a National Aids Council (NAC) report, the number of people who tested HIV positive from the STI cases remained static.

“On a negative note, the number of new STI cases recorded increased by 7 percent from 268 353 cases recorded in the first quarter of 2015 to 288 127 cases recorded in the quarter under review. The HIV positivity rate in STI clients remained static at 15 percent compared to the first quarter of 2015,” reads part of the report written by NAC chief executive officer Dr Tapuwa Magure.

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Dr Magure said the percentage of women who were tested for HIV in anti-natal care (ANC) and received their results in the last quarter of 2015 was 98 percent against a target of 97 percent.

“There was a slight decrease of (0,3 percent) in the number of pregnant mothers who were booked with a known HIV status during the second quarter under review, compared to 6,2 percent that had been recorded in the first quarter of 2015. Efforts to promote male involvement in Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission resulted in 23 percent of male partners getting tested against a target of 30 percent,” he said.

About 1,3 million Zimbabweans are estimated to be living with HIV and Aids, with 618 980 adults and 46 319 children on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) by December 2014.

About 60 percent of all ART patients are females.

The ART programme in the country was started in April 2004 with the objective of reducing deaths due to HIV and Aids and improving the quality of life of people living with HIV.