Theresa Takafuma
Masvingo province has recorded a sharp decrease in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the last few months, causes to which are still being investigated by the National Aids Council (NAC).
According to statistics released by NAC for the last quarter of 2014, STIs in the province dropped by 16 percent, which was partly attributed to high male and female condom promotions.
In an interview, NAC provincial coordinator Evos Makoni said some of the statistics dropped ‘all of a sudden without giving specific interventions undertaken to reduce STIs’.
Makoni said NAC is doing a research to determine the causes of the sudden drop in STIs around the province.
“We are doing a client satisfaction survey, through which we will determine the real causes for the sudden drop in STIs in the province,” Makoni said.
“We are hoping that by Thursday next week we would be through and the results of the survey will be available on Friday onwards,” he said.
Makoni said it is difficult to measure the number of STI cases in relation to the area they are treated because people have a tendency of looking for treatment from clinics far away from where they are well known.
He said college students dominate this group of people who go to seek for treatment from other health centers which are not the college clinics.
“We experience high STI rates in Masvingo when students are in session but statistics from college clinics are very low. It becomes hard to determine where the STIs are most prevalent,” Makoni said.
Meanwhile, Chiredzi District has the highest number of STI cases, followed by Triangle, which Makoni said could be an indication of STIs’ tendency of following tarred roads.local
