Empower people living with HIV, says NAC
N
ational Aids Commission (NAC) has asked its partners to empower people living with HIV with entrepreneurial skills to enable them generate their own income.
NAC coordination and capacity building officer Sungani Chalemba said this on Tuesday in Mwanza during a meeting with civil society organisations to assess the district’s performance in the implementation of HIV and Aids response activities in the 2020/21 financial year.
He said: “Besides providing necessary support to people living with HIV, we need to engage them in income-generating activities to enable them live positively.
“I observed that people living with HIV fail to meet their daily needs due to lack of a reliable source of income.”
Chalemba commended Mwanza District Council and its partners for the smooth coordination in the implementation of HIV and Aids interventions in the district.
Mwanza District Coalition of Women and Girls Living with HIV and Aids coordinator Edith Kachulu echoed Chalemba’s sentiments. She said people living with HIV, especially women, are more economically vulnerable than their male counterparts.
“Some women and girls engage in risky behaviour to get money, which puts their lives at risk of getting new infections,” she said.
Mwanza nutrition and HIV and Aids principal officer Kondwani Chavula commended NAC for its commitment and support towards the implementation of HIV and Aids-related activities in the district.
“We feel encouraged because NAC monitors and evaluates the progress and impact of HIV and Aids response activities implemented in the district,” he said.
Chavula said seven out of every 100 people in the border district are living with HIV, which he attributed to the district being a corridor for international travellers.
National Association of People Living with HIV and Aids in Malawi, Coalition of Women and Girls Living with HIV and Aids, Mwanza Women Aids Support Organisation and Mwanza District Health Office attended the meeting which was funded by NAC.
