JournAIDS Calls for Increased Focus on STIs in Malawi
The landscape analysis will help shape future advocacy efforts and collaborations, according to Mithi.
LILONGWE, Malawi— Health officials are neglecting other sexually transmitted infections that facilitate the spread of HIV/AIDS by focusing prevention efforts solely on HIV, according to a new analysis by the Journalists Association Against AIDS, writes Alinafe Nyanda.
Speaking Tuesday in Lilongwe at a workshop disseminating the STI landscape report, JournAIDS Programs Manager Dingani Mithi said advocacy is needed for STI vaccines and diagnostics to be incorporated into current programs.
"Challenges in STI prevention include poor quality services, low HIV testing rates in clinics, low treatment coverage, and significant numbers of STI patients accessing private sector facilities," Mithi said.
Prevention programs face constraints, including little advocacy from NGOs and low awareness and knowledge of preventing STIs, Mithi said. Malawi has a large youth population that is sexually active but lacks access to STI treatment and prevention services.
Mithi urged the government and other stakeholders to allocate more resources toward sexual and reproductive health rights in communities to foster knowledge and policy around issues.
JournAIDS is a local media advocacy NGO working in reproductive health, HIV, universal health coverage, climate change, and sustainable development. It is currently implementing an STI landscape programme in Malawi with support from AVAC.
Mithi said sexually transmitted infections are widespread, difficult to prevent, and can have severe health consequences.
The landscape analysis will help shape future advocacy efforts and collaborations, according to Mithi.
If prevention focuses solely on HIV and neglects other STIs, efforts to control the AIDS epidemic could be undermined, experts warn. STIs like gonorrhoea and chlamydia can increase HIV transmission risks if left untreated.
JournAIDS is calling for increased screening, treatment, and education programs around common STIs in Malawi as a critical part of reducing the country's HIV burden.
More funding and coordination are needed across government agencies and health partners, Mithi said.
The findings highlight the continued need for integrated sexual health services that address the range of infections spreading in at-risk populations, according to the report.