According to UNAIDS there are signs that the HIV epidemic in Zambia has levelled off. National data from the Zambian Ministry of Health also indicate that the HIV prevalence among young people from age 15 to 19 years has begun to decline and that this change is primarily assigned to the HIV/AIDS preventive activities with focus on behavioural change.
Positive impact of DanChurchAid's HIV/AIDS work in Zambia
For more than ten years, DanChurchAid has supported an AIDS Care and Prevention Programme implemented by the Church Health Association of Zambia, CHAZ. The programme provides another example of a cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme. The positive impact of the programme has been documented in several joint reviews and evaluation reports over the period 1993-2002.
Reducing the transmission of HIV in youth and women
The programme objective is prevention and mitigation of the impact of HIV/AIDS in rural Zambia. Its focus is on reducing the transmission of HIV in youth and women and the negative social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS. The programme is also strengthening the capacity and capability of institutions and local communities.
The effect of the programme is shown in reduction in the overall number of sex partners, delay the onset of sexual activity among adolescent, availability and promotion of the use of condoms, control of other sexually transmitted diseases, encouragement of voluntary testing and counselling and provision of HIV/AIDS education material.
The negative social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS is being reduced by supporting orphans and other vulnerable children to secure access to education, provision of school fees and supplies, provision of a counsellor and material and basic health support. In addition, a sustainable system for home based care and support for persons with HIV/AIDS and their families has also been developed. Patients are referred to health centres and hospitals if and when needed, and nursing is provided in the homes together with care and counselling, predominantly implemented by community volunteers. Micro-finance schemes have also been established.
Local capacity building
The programme strengthens the capacity and capability of institutions and local communities by conducting and organising counselling training, management courses, training workshops for development staff and community based approaches.
CHAZ has had an impact on the churches in Zambia in relation to training of church leaders who have often taken a leading role in counselling of the local society. It is estimated, that more than one million Zambians have gone through the enormous network of CHAZ and got help to fight HIV/AIDS.