PLAYERS in the health sector have been challenged to include the elderly in their HIV prevention awareness campaigns as the number of people above the age of 50 living with HIV continues to grow.
According to a recent survey conducted by the United Nations Joint Programme on AIDS, 22 percent of people living with HIV are 50 and above.
Speaking during a media science cafe organised by the Health Communicators Forum World Health Organisation, Zimbabwe National Programmes Officer for Family and Reproductive Health, Dr Trevor Kanyowa attributed the increase to a number of factors.
“The first reason is that we now have effective ARVs of high quality and this has led to people living longer and healthier lives. They are managing to grow older. The other reason is that whilst we know that even among the younger age groups HIV is still being acquired.
“We have also noticed that the history of acquiring the virus at older age is also increasing owing to a number of things, for example, there is a general belief that it is for younger people, so therefore older people are less likely to use protective measures. We also notice that older persons may lose a partner and then may opt to go into a new relationship, but there is not that much effort to get tested,” he said.
A clinician, Dr Cleopas Chimbetete reckons the public health response to HIV must be re-aligned and pay more attention to the needs of senior citizens.
“When we see elderly people coming to our hospitals lets test them so that we reduce late diagnosis. We also need to highlight HIV prevention including elderly patients in our messaging so that they realise that they know that they are also at risk. We also realise that HIV is a risk for a number of other conditions so people living with HIV in old age are more likely to have other conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, mental health issues, cancer etc.”
51-year-old Angeline Chiwetani, who has been on ARVs for the past 15 years, attributes her long life to strict adherence to medication.
“I have been on treatment since 2008. A lot of people died and a lot of people moved because of the stigma associated a lot of landlords chased away their tenants. My husband and I were given separate toilets, just because we had HIV. But look at me now, I am healthy because of ARVs,” she narrated.
According to 2022 estimates, the population of people above the age of 50 living with HIV is 272 240.
Globally, the United Nations Joint Programme on AIDS estimates that the number of people above the age of 50 living with HIV has increased from 5.4 million in 2015 to 8.1 million in 2020.-ZBC News