Rampant increase of HIV in Mbinga a major worry

Mbinga. The rate of HIV infection in Mbinga district is sharply increasing, especially in the coal mining areas, as the mining activities increased the interaction between people from different parts of the country and abroad.

In 2018, when the coal mining had not started, the number of people who tested positive for HIV in the district was 2,234 but has since increased to 8,133 in 2022, of which women account for 59.2 percent, according to official statistics from the district.

Residents say life hardships are pushing some women from villages around the mining areas into prostitution, having unprotected sex.

Neema Ngonyani, a resident of Amani Mkaolo Village, says the lorry drivers who transport coal to the neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Rwanda and DR Congo pay the prostitutes between Sh10,000 and Sh100,000.

“Many women enjoy having sex with people from outside their villages like the drivers, miners, road builders and other service providers,” she says.

The situation is also said to spread other sexually transmitted diseases and increase family conflicts.

“There is no peace in homes because local men do not have as much income as strangers,” she added.

Makolo Village chairman Amani Makolo says they have already started taking action against some women coming to the village for commercial sex.

He said some villagers have seen their marriages crumble because of their strong desire for money and engaging in unprotected sex.

“We need health experts and other stakeholders to provide awaness here in the village,” he says.

“I also call upon the villagers to take action and change their behaviour so that we can be safe and reduce the death rate and infections of the HIV/AIDS,” he says.

For his part, Mbinga District’s HIV/AIDS coordinator, Mr Evarist Towegale, says the infection rate has skyrocketed after the start of coal mining in the district.

According to him, the rate of new infections has drastically increased from 157 cases in 2018 to 1,014 in 2022.

Mr Towegale says the number of people using antiretrovirals drugs in the coal mining area increased from 730 to 1,619 this October.

Dr Josephat Kalipesa, the HIV/AIDS coordinator for Ruvuma region, says the infection rate stands at 5.6 percent, equivalent to six people living with HIV in every 100 people.

He says until 2022, the national statistics show that Ruvuma region is estimated to have 63,088 people living with HIV infections.

“To reduce the rate of new HIV infections which increase in coal mining areas, various strategies have been laid down in Mbinga District. We have increased testing through the use of Optimized PITC in all health centres and testing through Index Testing as well as the distribution of HIV self-test kits,” says Dr Kalipesa.

He also says provision of awareness on HIV protection continues through behaviourial change classes in collaboration with development partners and civil society organisations in the district.

Mr Juma Juma, the executive director of Mbinga District Council, says the district has laid down strategies including strengthening the distribution of condoms provided freely by the government in the streets, guest houses, recreational areas as well as all health centres.

According to Mr Juma, this also includes the provision of antiretrovirals known as PrEP, as well as connecting and retaining new HIV infected people on the use of ARVs and break the chain of new HIV infections.

He says an increased interactions of people from different parts of the country is contributing to the increase in infections,

He says the district council has set the HIV agenda as permanent through all meetings with the residents and every three months they circumcise 3,500 people.

He says testing of HIV in Mbinga is now at 98 percent, surpassing WHO targets of 95 percent.

“Those found to have been infected are given ARVs and choose whether they should be given those ARVs to last three or six months,” he says.

For his part, Wilbert Mahundi, a coordinator from the Friendsforever Organisation, cited increased moral decay as a factor, saying commercial sex was being done along the tarmacked road during construction.

“The situation is bad, people should be careful because HIV/AIDS infections have been on the rise posing a threat to our lives. There is a need to lay down strategies that could ensure that people take precautions, despite having low education,” he says.

“I would advise contractors in big projects to provide awareness on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and the environment to the community,” says Mr Mahundi.

For her part, Hilda Komba, the chairperson of the Friendsforever Organisation, urged the village leaders to establish small groups that would provide education on HIV/AIDS and mobilise the community to test for HIV voluntarily so that they are aware of their health status and protect themselves from new infections of the scourge.

“We will continue to cooperate with the government in sensitising the community on protecting themselves against the HIV/AIDS infections,” she says.

Ruvuma Coal Limited manager Benedicto Mshingwe said that the mine has already started providing education to its workers and the surrounding community on how to protect themselves from HIV infections.

He also said the mine has dished out more than Sh100 million for the community projects since they started coal mining activities in 2020.

For his part, Minerals deputy minister Steven Kiruswa said the ministry will work on the issue of the health of the residents in the mines, explaining that their safety is important.

He noted that the ministry has a health policy, regulations and criteria that require the owners of the mines to ensure that their workers protect themselves while at work and care for their health so that they are not affected.

He says, if there are such effects, his ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, together with the Ministry responsible for the environment will ensure that they take measures to protect the communities.

“The ministry has a special unit that makes follow-ups on these issues, and that is why we come to inspect and look at many things including the health and safety of workers, the distribution of tools including condoms,” said Dr Kiruswa.