Health authorities in Mozambique on Tuesday said HIV/AIDS prevalence in the country increased from 11.5 per cent to 13.2 per cent.

Aleny Couto, the Head of National Programme for the Control of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections under that country’s Ministry of Health, said the number of people in the southeast African country living with HIV/AIDS now stood at 2.1 million, and 130,000
new infections occur annually.

He said “we have about 70,000 people with HIV/AIDS annually and we estimate there are 120,000 pregnant women infected.

“The ratio for vertical transmission from mother to child is at 14 per cent.”

The figures indicated that the peak of prevalence was among people between 35 to 39 years old and the only provinces from the 11 provincial regions that did not register an increase of the virus prevalence were Manica, Tete and Gaza.

The Health Minister, Nazira Abdula, said 54 per cent of infected people were presently on antiretroviral treatment and the goal was to increase the figure to 90 per cent by 2020.

“We will continue engaging community and Church leaders to develop and consolidate good practices,” said the minister.

The ministry of health was concerned about stigma and discrimination which was affecting people living with the virus significantly, stopping them from seeking for help, health services and other counseling that could lead them to healthier life.

(Xinhua/NAN)