THE Midlands Province only has 23 sites that provide antiretroviral therapy to children, a figure that falls short of meeting the region’s requirements, a top medical doctor has said.
BY Stephen Chadenga
Provincial epidemiology and disease control officer, Mary Muchekeza said the Midlands had one doctor serving 30 000 patients.
“We have 23 paediatric ART sites in the Midlands that provide antiretroviral services to children,” Muchekeza told stakeholders at a provincial National Aids Council meeting in Gweru last week.
“There is need to increase these sites to meet the expectations in providing the service.”
She said districts such as Gweru and Gokwe, had four sites each, Chirumanzu and Mberengwa, three each while Kwekwe, Shurugwi, Zvishavane and Gokwe North have two each.
Muchekeza said there was need to decentralise paediatric ART services so that nurses at health institutions can initiate them.
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According to UNAids over two million children under the age of 15 are living with HIV/Aids in the world and 80% of these live in Sub-Sahara Africa.
In Zimbabwe estimates are that less than 50% of children eligible for ART are getting the treatment and care compared to 85% adults.
