The percentage of Zimbabweans aged between 15 and 49 infected with HIV has fallen from 24,6% to 20,1%, the country’s Herald Online reported on Monday.
It said this made Zimbabwe the second country in Sub-Saharan Africa — after Uganda — to see its HIV infection rate start dropping.
The latest figure emerged from a national survey — carried out by UNAids, the Centre for Disease Control within the United States Embassy, and several universities.
Health and Child Welfare Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said the latest figures should not give people a false sense of security as Zimbabwe still had a huge fight on its hands.
HIV-related illnesses continue to kill more than 3 000 people every week while almost every Zimbabwean household has been affected by the pandemic in some way or other.
Parirenyatwa attributed the drop in infection rates to behavioural change.
Surveys had shown that casual sexual encounters were on the decline and so were cases of sexually transmitted infections and diseases.
”Girls are now delaying when it comes to starting sexual activity and almost everyone in the country has an understanding of what HIV is all about,” he said.
”Everyone now seems to know the importance of preventing HIV and to an extent are trying their best to avoid getting infected, which should mean they are practising safe sex,” he said.
Parirenyatwa said a concerted bid to fight HIV — which had seen the government, non-government bodies and other organisations working together — also played a part. – Sapa