Jeanne Gapiya, Legal Representative of Burundian National Association in Support of People Living with HIV/AIDS–ANSS, says Burundians seem to ignore the existence of HIV/AIDS. She says that while the world celebrates on December 1st of each year the day dedicated to HIV/AIDS. The Health Ministry states it is much concerned about the lack of willingness of the population to do AIDS testing.
Jeanne Gapiya: ANSS Legal Representative “AIDS activists are heavily involved in treating HIV positive people rather than preventing the disease”
“People are no longer afraid of AIDS. They must know that it remains an incurable disease that causes several deaths, “said Patrick Uwimana, an AIDS patient, assisted by ANSS. He calls for everyone to do an AIDS testing in order to know their state of health. “Screening for the disease is the gateway to someone’s better future,” he adds.
Jeanne Gapiya says people seem have lost interest in raising awareness of HIV / AIDS. To her, they consider that AIDS isn’t a problem anymore. She believes that AIDS activists are heavily involved in treating HIV positive people rather than preventing the disease.
“We are not recalling the population that this plague still exists and kills many people in the world as no drug that cures it has been found so far”, she says. For her, the fact that HIV positive people on antiretroviral-ARV treatment appear to be healthy has made people overcome their fear for the disease. Gapiya says this is a major obstacle to fight the epidemic completely.
She also says few people come for AIDS testing. “To address these challenges, the ANSS has adopted an advanced strategy screening system that involves screening people in their homes or in public places.”This system has worked well,” she says.
Achieving 90-90-90 is our goal
Richard Manirakiza, Deputy Director of the National Program to Fight Against AIDS, said that the Government of Burundi, with the support of its technical and financial partners and key sectors such as the civil society and private actors help AIDS patients have access to AIDS care services.
“Through these initiatives, screening people has increased from 433,771 in 2010 to 694,189 in 2016, children aged between 0-15 infected with HIV / AIDS have decreased from 16,596 in 2014 to 11,975 in 2016, while people living with HIV / AIDS under ARV treatment increased from 22,735 in 2010 to 47,979 until June 2016”, he says.
Hakizimana says Burundi is working towards the global goals of eradicating HIV/AIDS in the country. “We want to meet the 90-90-90 global goal of mobilizing the population so that 90% of those infected with HIV / AIDS know it. This can only be possible when they get screened. By 2020, we would like to see the same 90% on effective and efficient antiretroviral treatment so that the viral load of these 90% becomes undetectable, “he said.
For him, the main obstacle to achieve this global goal is the lack of willingness of the population to be screened. “Screening is the gateway to HIV / AIDS prevention.” Everyone’s contribution is necessary to educate people to be screened. “We would like to have HIV/AIDS eliminated by 2030,” he concludes.
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