By Nevson Mpofu
The prevention of parent to child transmission remains crucial for countries of the world to achieve the reduction of HIV and AIDS prevalent rate . This is important in children growing up to become parents . Advocacy in supporting HIV prevention remains important in communities so as to reduce parent to child transmission which has been so much lowered in Zimbabwe .
Prevention , prevention , prevention remains vital as advocacy for us to remain with the gains which we already have achieved after winning on parent to child transmission which Zimbabwe has gained so far. Apart from that those children growing up must remain with the same spirit of fostering prevention, prevention, prevention.
”As a country, we need to celebrate the gains we have in the elimination of parent to child transmission. This helped reduce the rate of HIV prevalent rate in the country and around the world. Therefore as a nation, Traditional, Faith and local leaders must create demand of uptake of Anti-retroviral Therapy and Prevention of parent to child transmission. Advocacy has greatly contributed to the massive spread of awareness on issues related to HIV and AIDS , therefore sex education is important,” Katswe Director , Talent Jumo made the above remarks addressing a forum attended by traditional, faith and local leaders who as stakeholders pushed for a way forward in educating children on issues related to prevention, sex and sexuality education .
”Above all advocacy and prevention stands vital as we have achieved goals in spreading sex education and the effects of early sex , early marriage and the consequences related to HIV and AIDS,” Jumo said.
The coming of condoms in the HIV and AIDS era might have given confidence in rapid use of contraception when doing sex but prevention remains very important. Prevention could have surpassed the widespread of HIV and AIDS, but it was taken over by factors which leads to HIV and AIDS prevalence .
At the same forum, a delegate who works on Gender issues echoed the need for the Government spearhead sex education in schools.
”We are hindered by Government policies which prohibits us get into schools and talk about such issues , but it important to talk about sex education in schools so as to catch the young and make them grow with knowledge.”
Children population around the world amounts to a billion and half at a time we are heavily facing problems which are not addressed today affects these children tomorrow .
”They are leaders tomorrow, they are growing , they need sex education , advocacy and sensitisation in order to grow up with sex education knowledge in the country.’’
”Growing up needs much education on issues related to sex and sexuality and this goes well up with the strength of prevention,’’ said a community leader Alphias Mutyiri from Epworth.
Zimbabwe has scored on prevention of parent to child transmission of which is goal number 4 of the Millennium Development Goals that is Reducing Child mortality . It also improved on maternal mortality goal number 5 , goal on gender parity goal 3 and goal number 6 on HIV and AIDS.