Zambia has attained the 90:90:90 UNAIDS targets for HIV epidemic control as of September 2020.This came to light during the 2020 commemoration of World AIDS Day under the theme “The Future is our Responsibility: Let’s Take Action Now!”

The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) with support from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), through its partnership with the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been collaborating with the Ministry of Health to support Government’s efforts in providing high-quality, complementary, and integrated healthcare services.

Minister of Health, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya said, “the Zambian government had embarked on a programme aimed at attaining universal health coverage and as part of this, is aiming at ending HIV/AIDS by the year 2030. In our road map as a health sector between 2017 and 2021, Zambia pitched epidemic control of HIV/AIDS as a must attain target”.

“Our appreciation goes to the American government and the American people for their kindness and support for the progress that has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS. As you have heard from the previous speakers, Zambia is one of the seven countries that have attained epidemic control of HIV/AIDS. We have met the 90:90:90 targets and we are on the verge of attaining the 95:95:95 targets. Out of 1,300,000 Zambians estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, 1,176,000  are on  treatment and out of these 95% of those who are HIV positive know their status, out of these 94.6% are on treatment and out of these 94.2% are virally suppressed as of September 2020”.

Dr. Chilufya said Zambia was set to meet the 95:95:95 targets by the end of the year. “This could not have been possible without the partnership with the American people through PEPFAR funding.

Dr. Chilufya said in 2001, when Zambia started the HIV/AIDS program, there were only 2000 people on antiretroviral therapy (ART) but as of 2020, there were 1,176,000 people on ART because of the USD 4.5 Billion investment through PEPFAR. “For this we remain eternally grateful. We appreciate all the support received from the European Union, Global Fund and indeed other partners as part of our fight for universal health care coverage. While we have made progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, we must remember that HIV/AIDS is real and still with us. Therefore, we must take action now,  at individual level, we must all know our HIV status and those who test positive must start ART and remain on ART and make sure that we attain viral suppression, stop transmitting HIV/AIDS and all of us will be hopeful for that HIV free Zambia”.

And Dr. Chilufya also launched the adolescents and young people HIV/AIDS Surge campaign program aimed at distributing documents and tools that will ensure epidemic control of HIV/AIDS among this critical population.

“We have not forgotten the vulnerability of adolescents in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Today we reaffirm our commitment to investing in measures that will help stop transmission of HIV/AIDS amongst adolescents. We will increase investment in adolescents and youth services in all our health facilities and ensure that we create a coalition of partners of communities to protect the adolescents.  Our statistics shows that young women aged between 15 and 24 have double rates of infection and young men between the ages of 25 to 35 years old equally had doubled rates of infection, we need to hype our health promotion programs to protect those groups”.

Dr Chilufya said at individual level, everyone should leverage on all the tools that are being made available by government and its partners to fight HIV/AIDS. “Voluntary Medical Male circumcision (VMMC) is one high impact intervention that reduces transmission of HIV/AIDS, including use of condoms, abstinence, and treatment as part of prevention. Being on treatment ensures that you are getting viral load suppression and will not be able to transmit HIV/AIDS”.

And the US Embassy Chargé d’ Affaires David Young said that it was an extraordinary achievement that despite the challenges of COVID 19, Zambia reached HIV epidemic control in 2020.

He said in line with the 2020 global theme for World AIDS Day which is “Global Solidarity; Shared Responsibility”, the United States and the Zambian government had forged a deep partnership that was protective and lifesaving.

Mr. Young said the United States government’s commitment to ending HIV/AIDS globally and in the United States remains strong. “Our key focus areas include; delivery of quality people centred HIV prevention and treatment services, strengthening the capacity of resilience of communities and health systems to address the HIV epidemic and other health challenges including COVID 19 and partnering for great impact, burden sharing and sustainability”.

He said the United States government had invested more than USD 4.5 Billion in the Zambian HIV response through PEPFAR and leveraged the power of partnerships by working closely with foreign governments, the private sector, philanthropical organisations, multilateral institutions, international organisations, civil society, faith based organisations and importantly people living with HIV/AIDS. “Through our partnership with the Zambian government, more than 1.1 million Zambians are receiving lifesaving ART. More than 435,000 VMMC procedures in age 15 and above were completed for men in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV. Another partnership to highlight is one between Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Zambia. “CDC’s presence in Zambia started in 2000 and its work of prevention from Mother to Child transmission of HIV that started at UTH became a key building block for the launch of PEPFAR in 2004. This month CDC celebrates 20 years of service here in Zambia working with the Zambian government and partners to make lifesaving differences.

He said Zambia’s theme for World AIDS Day called on everyone to act by getting tested, if positive, act to get treatment and if on treatment, act to stay on treatment to prevent the spread of HIV. “If you do test positive act to have your partner and children screened, act to eliminate stigma of people living with HIV/AIDS, act to create a tolerant community which supports those living with HIV/AIDS”.