Photo of the week

North Star Alliance Roadside Wellness Center - Gideon Mendel

As dusk falls nurse Chama Kangumu counsels a client prior to doing an HIV test in the North Star Alliance Roadside Wellness Centre which is run in the evenings close to the border in Chirundu. This is a transit point on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is a HIV/AIDS transmission hotspot and it has become notorious for its congestion.

“I think it is a good idea for us to be open at a time when the commercial sex workers are active around here and for us to be available for those who work shifts. The main reason why there is such a problem with HIV here at Chirundu is that there are so many truck drivers. It takes a long time for their goods to be cleared. And while they’re here, they tend to have too much time on their hands, and inevitably they drink and become adventurous and then they start going about with the commercial sex workers.”

Photo Credit: Gideon Mendel

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