Mashila was giving an update on the HIV situation in the Tonota District recently during the Month of Prayer against HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence(GBV) and road traffic crashes. According to Mashila, they registered 60 cases of teenage pregnancy between April and June as compared to 52 cases recorded in the previous quarter. All cases were between the age of 15 and 19 years and mostly from Borolong and Tonota villages respectively. Mashila was concerned that in less than six months, about 112 children were reported to be pregnant. She also said some of the pregnant teenagers tested positive for HIV during the same period. The majority of the affected teenagers are school-going children who ultimately dropped out of school due to pregnancy. “Children are being defiled and some are being raped, which in most cases is attributed to child negligence as such incidents take place in the absence of their parents or guardians,” she added. When revealing the current HIV statistics, she stated that 2, 034 people tested for HIV between April and June. According to Mashila, 51 individuals among those who tested within the same time frame had positive results.
The Ministry of Health estimates that about 330, 000 people are living with HIV in the country, with about 2, 200 new cases amongst adults each year. She further stated that only 45 people enrolled for HAART with the other five citing lack of readiness to start treatment. Furthermore, she said that 8, 532 residents of the district, which stretches from Matsitama to Serule village, have enrolled for HAART treatment. Regretfully, she stated that 221 patients had stopped receiving their treatment, which she stressed to be a threat to the community. "We don't know why they are defaulting from treatment, but some people claim they are tired of taking their medication. The very drugs they are abstaining from are designed to strengthen their immune systems and prolong their lives. We want to see you raising your children but not leaving them behind to become orphans,” she remarked.
