PLACE in Zambia: Identifying Gaps in HIV Prevention in Mongu, Western Province, 2005

Author(s): Ndubani P, Kamwanga J, Tembo R, Tate J, Buckner B

Year: 2006

Abstract:

The Priorities for Local AIDS Control Efforts method (PLACE) identifies specific venues where HIV/AIDS prevention programs can reach those most at risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV. Mongu in Zambia's Western Province was selected for a PLACE study because data from antenatal clinics and official projections suggest that the level of HIV prevalence in Mongu is high. HIV prevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal care was 28.2% in 2004. Official projections estimate an overall prevalence in Mongu district around 21% in 2006. Urban Mongu, a provincial capital, has an active harbor and many markets, and serves as a crossroads for commerce and trade. Increasingly, large numbers of people from other parts of Zambia, neighboring countries, and international tourists pass through Mongu every year. Business men, tradesmen, migrants, and tourists meet and socialize with each other and with the local population, and this social mixing can create opportunities for HIV transmission.