THE prevalence of HIV-related cancers in Zimbabwe has gone down by 40 percent over the past decade owing to effective screening and HIV prevention measures that the Government has implemented.
Cancers associated with HIV include Kaposi Sarcoma, anal cancer, vulvar cancer, penile cancer and cervical cancer.
According to the latest Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry (ZNCR), there has been a decline in Kaposi sarcoma cases over the past years.
Kaposi sarcoma is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the skin or mucous membranes that line the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, from mouth to anus, including the stomach and intestines.
“New cancer cases recorded among Zimbabweans of all races (including non-melanoma skin cancer) was 7 841 comprising 3 301 (42,1 percent) males and 4 540 (57,9 percent) females.
While over 7 000 new cases of cancer were registered during the past five years, some HIV-related ones (particularly Kaposi sarcoma) continue to be on the decline,” read the report.
The National Aids Council (Nac) funded the compiling of the national report.
“The HIV-related malignancies (particularly Kaposi sarcoma) continue to be on the decline. It is estimated that cancers associated with HIV infections are at 40 percent, down from 60 percent recorded in 2005 during the peak of the HIV and Aids pandemic,” read the report.
The report is based on a comparison of the incidence of known HIV-related cancers. The document also shows that of the 7 841 new cases of cancer recorded, Bulawayo accounted for 1 072 (13, 7 percent), Harare City 2 677 (34,1 percent), Manicaland 524 (6,8 percent) while Mashonaland Central province recorded 456 which translates to 5,9 percent.
A total of 1 052 cases were recorded in Mashonaland East, 513 in Mashonaland West, 427 in Masvingo, 479 in Midlands, 211 in Matabeleland North and 192 in Matabeleland South province.
The most frequently occurring cancers among Zimbabweans of all races were cervix uteri (21 percent), prostate (11 percent), breast (8 percent), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (5 percent), oesophagus (4 percent), Kaposi sarcoma (KS) (4 percent, colorectal (4 percent), stomach (3 percent) and liver (3 percent),” read the report.
To date, Zimbabwe’s HIV prevalence stands at 11,8 percent and the number of new HIV infections dropped from 24 900 in 2020 to 22 800 in 2021.
Antiretroviral therapy coverage rose from 92 percent to 92,43 percent of the 1 301 400 people living with HIV during the same period.
Among these milestones, Zimbabwe has also managed to effectively roll out female and male condoms distribution programmes, voluntary medical male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis, HIV testing and counselling programmes.
Nac chief executive officer Dr Bernard Madzima said more milestones in the fight against HIV and Aids will be reached once the country manages to tackle non-communicable diseases like cancer.
Dr Madzima said, if not tackled, NCDs could easily put the country off track in terms of achieving global targets to eradicate HIV and Aids.
“We shall, therefore, optimise sub-population and geographic-specific HIV prevention services, coupled with those that address threats from drug-resistant TB, non-communicable diseases and the busting of social safety nets,” he said.
In recognition of the close association between HIV and non-communicable diseases, Nac has increased support towards cancer programmes, in particular cervical cancer by providing many screening machines. – The Chronicle
