50,000 condoms dispatched to Luangwa

By MUBITA KATETE
ABOUT 50, 000 male condoms and 20, 000 HIV self-test kits have been dispatched to Luangwa District ahead of this Saturday’s symbolic crossing of the Zambezi River by Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV, the Lusaka Provincial administration has disclosed.
The ceremony, scheduled for February 21 in Luangwa-Feira, commemorates the 191st anniversary of the Ngoni migration into Zambia.
The annual event, which features traditional dances and a re-enactment of the 1835 migration, has become a key cultural highlight and a prelude to the Nc’wala traditional ceremony.
Last year, Paramount Chief Mpezeni IV led a historic inaugural ceremonial crossing of the Zambezi River in Luangwa-Feira to mark the 190th anniversary of the Ngoni migration.
Lusaka Provincial HIV Coordination Adviser Eunice Masi said government is duty-bound to safeguard the health of the thousands of people expected to gather for the event.
“We know a lot of people will converge in one place and there will be a lot of activities, including risky sexual behaviour. We are ready with our HIV prevention commodities and health education.
We want to make sure that the population is safe from HIV,” Mrs Masi said.
She emphasised that the distribution of condoms and oral self-testing kits is aimed at preventing unplanned pregnancies and reducing the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.
“It is important that the people who will be in the area know their HIV status by using the 20,000 oral self-testing kits that have been provided. Such gatherings often come with increased risk, and we must act proactively,” she said.
Mrs Masi added that the intervention aligns with the government’s commitment to reduce new HIV infections and end AIDS by 2030.
According to provincial data, Lusaka Province currently has 347,647 people on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), the highest number in the country. An estimated 350,000 people are living with HIV in the province, while new infections stood at approximately 5,500 as of December 2025.