5 Key Points About AIDS in Swaziland

There are many helpful sources of information about HIV/AIDS in Swaziland. This article is one such but is not necessary a conclusive one. Take some time to read these 5 highlights as pointed out below.

1. Prevalence rate- Swaziland’s HIV prevalence rate is second highest in the. Swaziland’s prevalence rate stood at 38.6 percent at the end of 2007, (UNAIDS, report). New HIV infections are still recorded in health institutions around the country.

2. Treatment- treatment in form of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) is available in both public and private health institutions through out the country. The drugs are available for children and adults because there are children are in need of the drugs. Any one can access the drugs by prescription from authorised health workers and they are free nation wide. By December 2007, Swaziland had increased treatment provision to 25,000 people (WHO (2008) ‘Towards Universal Access: Scaling up priority HIV/AIDS interventions in the health sector’).

3. Prevention-The Swazi government has introduced a number of initiatives for HIV prevention such as condom distribution, behaviour change campaigns, prevention of mother to child transmission, and early diagnosis by testing. Both female and male condoms are available country wide in strategic places which is an initiative by the government and other agencies. Billbords and adverts carry behaviour change message, a recent and on-going campaign being that of secret lovers ‘makhwapheni’ by NERCHA. Mother to child prevention (PMTCT) programmes include training healthcare workers, scaling up voluntary testing and counselling services and supplying free nevirapine. There is still a lot to be done about behaviour change.

4. AIDS statistics in the country- the numbers of people living with AIDS in this small kingdom is on the rise. In 2007 15,000 Swazi children aged up to 14 years of age were living with HIV, ( UNAIDS 2008 Report on the global AIDS epidemic) By 2008 the government aims to reduce the proportion of children under 4 years old who are HIV positive by 30%, which is possible through PMTCT. The age group between 15-49 years seems to be the most affected and AIDS deaths are more within this age group.

5. Impact- the impact of AIDS in Swaziland is vast in all parts of the country. It has affected all sector of life but children are severly hit by pandemic. The number of orphaned and vulnerable children due to AIDS is projected to reach 120, 000 by 2010, is currently at more than 70, 000 these children have lost one or both parents. Most of the time the other is bed ridden and the children drop out of school to take care of their sick parents. The majority of deaths occur among young people aged 15-49, the nation’s most productive population segment. Particularly high infection rates of up to 47.3 percent are found among women 15-24 years of age, and up to 18.3 percent among men in the same age group. Life expectancy at birth in the mid-1990s was 51 years, but it has dropped rapidly to 39.4 as a direct result of AIDS.