Malawi: AIDS awareness receives boost

The third National HIV testing and counseling week has been slated for next week - November 10 onwards. This is in line with the Malawian government's promise to check the spread of the disease.

The national HTC week that was first introduced in the country in 2006, as a mobilization campaign to HIV Testing and Counseling services is this year expected to be conducted at over 800 sites with at least 25,000 people expected to test in the week.

Briefing the press in the capital, Lilongwe the Minister of Health Khumbo Chirwa said the government had made the initiative an annual event as it recognizes the benefits of knowing ones zero status.

"The benefits of knowing ones HIV status are now greater than at any point in time since HIV and AIDS pandemic was first diagnosed in the country in 1985,” he said.

He said HIV testing and counseling was the only way which gave government proper statistics of persons living with HIV enabling it to properly plan for its ambitious free Anti-retroviral programe.