BYO disputes media claims on HIV positivity rates
City of Bulawayo Offices
The City of Bulawayo has refuted recent media claims that suggested a staggering 90 percent HIV positivity rate among women aged 16 to 50 in the city.
Acting town clerk Dr. Edwin Mzingwane addressed the issue, clarifying that the reported statistics were misleading and taken out of context.
According to Dr. Mzingwane, the actual HIV prevalence for the 15-49 age group in Zimbabwe is 10.49 percent, while Bulawayo’s rate stands slightly higher at 11.75 percent. He explained that the media reports had inaccurately interpreted data from the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Camera (VIAC) Programme, which is primarily aimed at screening HIV-positive women for cervical cancer.
The VIAC Programme is designed to detect cervical cancer early in women who are already on Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) for HIV. While the programme includes some HIV-negative women for screening purposes, its primary focus is on those who are HIV-positive due to their increased risk of developing cervical cancer.
Dr. Mzingwane stressed that the term “prevalence” refers to the proportion of old and new HIV infections in a population, while “positivity” relates to the proportion of positive results among those tested. He criticized the sensationalist headlines of the articles, stating that they misrepresented the data.
“The City of Bulawayo notes with concern recent articles with headlines such as ‘Alarming statistics on HIV positive women in Bulawayo’ and ‘Alarming statistics in Bulawayo HIV testing,’” Dr. Mzingwane said. “These articles took the City of Bulawayo Council report out of context and sensationalized the information.”
He explained that women with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to those without HIV, according to the World Health Organization. The VIAC Programme is crucial for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer through procedures like cryotherapy and Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP).
“The City of Bulawayo offers VIAC services primarily targeting HIV-positive women but also includes HIV-negative women,” Dr. Mzingwane added. “The reports cited in the media do not accurately reflect the general HIV positivity rates in Bulawayo but are skewed towards HIV-positive women undergoing cervical cancer screening.”
Dr. Mzingwane emphasized the importance of accurate health reporting, noting that misinformation can impact public knowledge and health beliefs. The city aims to ensure that health information disseminated to the public is both precise and representative of the true situation.
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