By John Hussein, Citizen Journalists:
A total of 566 Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases were recorded in Chikwawa District from April to September this year, up from the 466 cases that were recorded last year.
While confirming the development, District Gender Officer for Chikwawa, Victoria Mkasala, said the increase shows that people are now coming out.
“I would like to thank stakeholders who are doing a commendable advocacy job in rural areas on the importance of reporting GBV related cases,” she said.
But Mkasala was worried over the fact that a lot of men in the district are still coy about reporting their GBV cases for fear of being looked down upon by the community.
She was speaking during the district’s joint event marking World Aids day and the conclusion of 16 days of Activism against GBV held at Nsenjere Primary School, Group Village Head Mphungu, in Traditional Authority Ngabu area in Chikwawa.
Taking his turn, Director of Health and Social Services for Chikwawa, Starlin Zimkanda said the 95:95:95 approach towards fighting HIV and Aids has helped reduce the district’s HIV prevalence rate from 8.8 percent last year to 7.6 percent from the month of January to June.
Chikwawa District Council Chairperson Khofati Malunga advised all those diagnosed with HIV not to hide their particulars and location as the tendency increases Aids-related deaths.