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Fungai Lupande Central Bureau
Mazowe district has the highest number of child marriages, HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Mashonaland Central, National Aids Council’s district Aids coordinator, Mrs Mercy Mudhombo, has revealed.

The district has a population of 258 994 people and 36 019 within the 25 to 49 age group are positive, placing the prevalence rate at 17 percent.

The hotspots in Mazowe are Mazowe Mine (Doxy Ford), Mazowe Flowers, Forester Estates, Caesar Mine, Bare, Nzvimbo and Hermiston Farm.

“There is a problem of early sexual debuts and teenage pregnancies especially in the farming and mining areas where young girls are initiated into womanhood through cultural practices of ‘Chinamwari’,” said Mrs Mudhombo.

“The young girls drop out of school early and end up getting married or becoming sex workers. This has fuelled new HIV and STI cases in the district. Illegal mining settlements have also attracted sex workers and traders. There is a high HIV prevalence of 22,4 percent among sex workers.

“Estimated number of HIV deaths is 714 per annum. We discovered that there is low comprehensive knowledge of HIV among youths. There is also high prevalence of STI cases, which are over 1 000 per quarter.”

It is against this background that NAC, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Childline and Young People’s Network have joined hands in providing video screening of advocacy films in schools in Mazowe.

Speaking at Mazowe Citrus Secondary School district facilitator of Young People’s Network Takudzwa Mandizvidza said it is sad that some learners who have knowledge on sexual reproductive health are the ones engaging in risky behaviours.

“The advantage of video screening is that these young people learn by seeing. Today, we are targeting the 13 to 18 age group. Most of them have knowledge on sexual reproductive health issues, but they fail to implement the information when faced with the challenge,” said Takudzwa.

A social worker with Childline, Mrs Progress Nangate, said they are raising awareness on all forms of abuse and available reporting platforms though video screening.