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Namwala District Commissioner, Gevar Nsanzya, has said the Government of the Republic of Zambia, under the leadership of President Michael Sata, is very much committed to ensure that all citizens of Zambia are taken care of as far as HIV/AIDS is concerned.
Mr Nsanzya was speaking in Namwala on a speech read for him by Namwala District Administrative officer, Godwin Sanjase during World Aids day celebrations whose theme was ‘getting to zero-zero deaths,zero news hiv infections,and zero stigma and discrimination.
Mr Nsanzya noted that the HIV/AIDS pandemic threatens the future of the nation because most people at risk of the infection are the productive age group between 15-45 years and that this particular age group has been the engine of economic gains made over the last 49 years of independence.
The Namwala District Commissioner said government has come up with various interventions to ensure that lives of the people of Zambia are not threatened by the presence of HIV/AIDS.
Mr Nsanzya said that government has put in place HIV interventions, such as free ARVs and free condom distribution which are all being implemented by the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders.
He further said that communities or society needs to link and work together with the government to have successful results in this area.
Mr Nsanzya stated that there are decentralised structures to enable people respond better to issues of HIV/AIDS at the district level and that the mother of all these structures is the District HIV/AIDS task force (DATF).
The district commissioner has since appealed to all structures to continue working with this mother body to achieve the desired goals of getting to zero campaign slogan in the effort of eradicating HIV/AIDS completely in communities.
And speaking at the same function, Namwala District Council Secretary, Packson Banda, said some culture, such as sexual cleansing, need to be done away with because such vices can lead to rapid spread of HIV/AIDS.
Mr Banda also warned youths of alcohol abuse, saying alcohol abuse leads to making uninformed decisions which can lead to the spread of HIVAND AIDS.
Meanwhile, Namwala District Community Medical officer, Davy Kaile, appealed to youths not to stigmatise people living with HIV and AIDS.
He said HIV and AIDS does not choose who to infect and that it was up to the people themselves to try and be careful at all times.
