Bulawayo City Council Clarifies HIV Statistics
By Kwedu News
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has disputed recent articles and social media posts containing misleading information about HIV positive women in Bulawayo saying it was taken out of context.
The disputed articles in question reported alarming statistics, stating that 90% of women aged 16-50 tested for HIV in June 2024, with a 71.7% positivity rate among women.
The City Council, however, said it notes that these figures were taken out of context and sensationalized.
In a statement issued by the Acting Town Clerk on Wednesday, 15 August 2024, the local authority said the data was extracted from the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Camera (VIAC) Programme, which primarily targets HIV positive women for cervical cancer screening.
The Acting Town Clerk, one Dr. E. Mzingwane, said the programme aims to detect cervical cancer early, as women living with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer than those without HIV.
The City Council emphasizes that the VIAC programme is not representative of the general HIV positivity rates in Bulawayo as insinuated in the misleading articles.
Nationally, the HIV prevalence for the 15-49 years age group is 10.49%, Dr. Mzingwane said, while in Bulawayo it is 11.75%.
The Council urges the media to ensure accurate health reporting, as it significantly impacts public knowledge and health beliefs.
“We appreciate the critical role the media plays in disseminating health information and look forward to collaborating on accurate and informative reports,” said Dr. Mzingwane.
