Goromonzi district has once again topped the list for s3xually transmitted infections (STIs) in Mashonaland East province, marking the third consecutive time the district has held this unenviable position.
According to a recent NAC breakfast meeting held in Marondera, over 1,900 STI cases were recorded in Goromonzi during the first quarter of this year, contributing to the province’s alarming 30% increase in STI cases in 2024.
Mashonaland East, with a population of 136,962 people living with HIV and AIDS, has an HIV prevalence rate of 10.38% and an ART coverage of 99%. Despite efforts to combat STIs, the province’s rise in cases remains a significant public health concern.
NAC Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mercy Muguti, said the increase was worrisome.
“It is worrisome that Goromonzi has recorded such an increase with the cases having repeated which is not good for our interventions,” she said.
“We are doing all we can to make sure our intervention goes to all areas as we seek to reach all corners in our interventions.”
Mashonaland East Provincial Medical Director, Dr Paul Matsvimbo, said they will visit Goromonzi to find out what exactly is happening there, describing the statistics as “very disturbing”.
Mashonaland East Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Senator Aplonia Munzverengwi, said there is a need for more HIV and AIDS intervention programmes as the pandemic is not yet over.
“Such statistics as presented here show that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is still a threat to our public health systems and need to be taken seriously,” she said.
SOURCE : H METRO
