Malawi can end HIV epidemic—NAC
Malawi has potential to end the HIV epidemic with recent advances in HIV treatment and biomedical prevention, chairperson of the National Aids Commission (NAC) Mary Kumbweza Banda has said.
At the moment, Malawi registers at least 50 000 new infections per year translating into about 1 000 infections every week and about six infections every hour.
Banda made the remarks in Blantyre at NAC’s 2013 bi-annual review meeting of the national response to HIV and Aids yesterday.
“We have the ability to consolidate the continuing evidence to scale up key interventions in the most needed settings. We need to combine the best of what we have been doing with the best strategies that are currently available.
“Therefore, each and every stakeholder in the HIV and Aids response must play their role in identifying informed priorities,” she said.
The chairperson singled out the use of ARVs in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) to have led to virtual elimination of potential HIV.
The secretary for Nutrition and HIV and Aids in the Office of the President and Cabinet Edith Mkawa said government is ready to support implementation of any cost-effective and evidence-based interventions, as long as they are proven to have the potential to save lives.
