Zimbabwe: behavior change needed
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SOURCE: UN Wire/Scientific American, 5 June 2000
BEHAVIOURAL INTERVENTION RECOMMENDED TO DIMINISH HIV/AIDS IN ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe has one of the best chances in Africa to diminish its
HIV/AIDS epidemic through behavioral intervention, according to an
article in the Scientific American. Unlike other African countries,
Zimbabwe is not plagued by ethnic warfare. Yet an estimated 20% to
25% of the population is infected with HIV. Zimbabwe distributes 50
million condoms annually -- the highest number of any African coun-
try, according to an official from the US Agency for International
Development. With anti-AIDS drugs prohibitively expensive for most
Zimbabweans at US$ 10,000 per person per year, the country's only
means to defend itself against a growing crisis is behavior modifica-
tion. According to clinic nurse Prisca Nyamapfeni, "We are taking too
long to change our behavior. We are still under a lot of denial."
--
Cecilia Snyder
mailto:csnyder@pcdc.org
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