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Herald Reporter
The number of Zimbabweans going for voluntary HIV testing and counselling has increased two-fold from about one million to over two million between 2012 and 2013, the National Aids Council has said.
In its 2013 annual report, NAC chief executive officer Dr Tapuwa Magure said 2 274 328 million people were tested for HIV in 2013, up from 1 150 933 the previous year.

“There was an increase in HIV testing against the target from 54 percent in 2012 to 73 percent in 2013,” he said.
Dr Magure attributed the increase to a number of HIV interventions like the testing and treating programme for mothers, also known as Option B+, and an increase in antenatal care sites offering HIV and Aids care services.

He also said the number of people testing positive was falling in all provinces except Matabeleland North and South. According to 2013 statistics, the number of people testing positive remains at 13 percent for Matabeleland North province while Matabeleland South recorded an increase from 20 to 21 percent.

Mashonaland Central had the lowest number of positive tests, falling from 13 to 10 percent in the period under consideration.
The annual report noted an increase in the number of people treated for new Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

STI cases increased from 261 032 to 277 708.
“There was a 6,3 percent increase in clients treated for new STIs in the year under review in comparison to 2012,” it said. “Clients treated for repeat STIs infections increased by 8.4 percent from the 43 759 treated in 2012 to 47 441 in 2013.”