The new findings also recorded a tremendous decline in pregnant women who have been seeking ante-natal care. The estimates were jointly conducted and produced by the Ministry of Health, the US Centre of Disease Control, United Nations agencies and independent experts.
According to these National Estimates, the overall prevalence of women, who constitute 52 per cent out of a 13 million population, peaked at around 1997 at 26,5 per cent in the adult population and declined to 14,3 per cent in 2009.
This in turn led to the lowering of the HIV prevalence in different female age groups, which were previously highly embattled by the epidemic. The statistics categorically revealed that there has been a visible decrease of HIV in pregnant women aged between 15-49-visiting ante-natal clinics-from 25,7per cent in 2002 to 16,1 per cent in 2009.
Among young adult women aged 15-29, a similar HIV decline was found. The new findings singled out Zimbabwe as the only country in the region, in which HIV prevalence has declined substantially at national level despite its economic hardships.
Post published in: News