ZANZIBAR has allocated 3.4bn/- in accelerating the fight against HIV/AIDS and monitoring at-risk groups, in particular the youth.

Harusi Said Suleiman, state minister in the First Vice President’s Office, told the House of Representatives yesterday that the funds will support the Zanzibar AIDS Commission (ZAC) to implement current strategies and initiatives on the malady.

She made this affirmation when responding to Mwanakwerekwe representative Ameir Abdallah Ameir who inquired about current strategies for combating HIV/AIDS that ZAC is undertaking, and the state of implementation.

She said that the commission has been assigned multiple responsibilities, including significantly reducing infections associated with the disease, as well as outlining other strategies for conducting public education on HIV/AIDS through various groups, particularly those most at risk of new infections.

New infections have noticeably decreased starting from 2005, the year treatment services for HIV/AIDS patients were launched, especially antiretroviral therapy for those living with the virus.

Over the past four years, new infections declined from 519 in 2020 to 362 in 2023m where by July 2024, 213 new HIV infections had been reported, with individuals already receiving treatment, the minister noted.

“These figures show that the number of new infections continues to decrease year on year, and the community is becoming more willing to come forward for health testing,” she said.

The minister praised international organisations for substantial support in the fight against HIV/AIDS, contributing to slowing the spread of infections, specifically citing the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) sponsored by the United States.