hope for zambian msm

By Nthateng Mhlambiso (BTM Senior Reporter)

July 26, 2007: For the first time in Zambia, men having sex with other men (MSM) will have a government endorsed assessment aimed at identifying their existence and sexual behaviours in relation to HIV and Aids.

This is done to draw the government’s attention to health issues faced by MSM in that country.

Spearheaded by US-based Centre for Disease Control (CDC) together with the Zambian Ministry of Health and the Society for Family Health International, the assessment “is exciting and will give some sort of identity for MSM in Zambia” according to Riva Ukwimi, who is the project coordinator of Friends of Rainka (FORP) at the Society for Family Health.

Elucidating the implementation of the assessment, Ukwimi said; “We will use a referral system, starting by giving a certain number of MSM cards to pass them to their friends. We are still going to meet to decide what is to be written on those cards but it has to be something that will not perpetuate stigmatization but at the same time be recognized as an MSM assessment.”

He added that they will also have tollfree numbers where people can call in. “There will also be a screening process where people will be asked questions from questionnaires, and from their responses we will be able to know whether they qualify to visit our offices as MSM.”

Expected to begin on 1 September, coordinators are presently training counselors who will advice these MSM. The project will run from September to January 2008.

Ukwimi pointed out that this assessment is not only important to MSM but to the whole Zambian society. “There are MSM who lure young boys who are not necessarily MSM to have sex with them for money. These boys might be having their girlfriends and if they contract STIs or HIV and Aids they can spread it to the whole society.”

BTM questioned if this assessment is not exclusive as it only targets MSM only and not women having sex with women. In responding, Ukwimi said that there must be reasons for CDC to target MSM only for now. “Some of the reasons might be that MSM are at a very high risk of contracting HIV and Aids and STIs because they perform anal sex that is said to be very risky.”
 
Asked whether the fact that homosexuality is illegal in Zambia will not hinder this assessment, Ukwimi said; “This is a government endorsed project, so it should not be a problem.”

He also highlighted that homosexuality is not a problem per se in Zambia, “Conflicts begin only when we want it to be constitutionalised. So far I have not heard of any cases of hate crimes or any bashing of gay people”, he said. 

“It is a good start by the Ministry of Health of the republic of Zambia”, Ukwimi concluded.