2014 EDITION Vol.2 Issue 08 DIGITAL

Health
HIV/AIDS: Closing the gap in prevention and treatment
BY SILVIA RUGINA
s the world marks AIDS day on December
1, there are approximately 11.7 million
people living with HIV in low- and
middle-income countries and were
receiving ART by the end of 2013.
Unfortunately, about 740 000 of those were
children.
As the global efforts to achieve the ambitious
HIV targets accelerate, the World
Health Organization prepares to
issue new recommendations for
countries to address important
gaps in HIV prevention and treatment
services. A new update to
recommend antiretrovirals as an
emergency prevention following
HIV exposure, and to prevent infections
that affect a large number of
people living with HIV.
empowering and enabling all people, everywhere,
to access the services they need.
In Rwanda, people living with HIV/AIDS have
ease of access to the ARV’s wherever they are,
and they are free say Amani Ndayisenga 43 who
has been living with HIV/AIDS for 13 years.
“With the drugs available in all health centers
and hospitals countrywide, no one should die
In 2013, WHO published consolidated
guidelines on the use of antiretrovirals
that promote earlier,
simpler and less toxic interventions.
Since then, more than three quarters
of WHO priority countries with
high burdens of HIV have adopted these recommendations.
A record 13 million out of 28 million
people in need received treatment in 2013.
However, WHO remains concerned about the
majority of people living with HIV who do not
have access to comprehensive prevention and
treatment services. The new update will
include recommendations on post-exposure
prophylaxis and the use of cotrimoxazole
prevention.
This is an opportunity to harness the power of
social change to put people first and close the
access gap. Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 is
possible, but only by closing the gap between
people who have access to HIV prevention, treatment,
care and support services and people who
are being left behind. Closing the gap means
from HIV/AIDS. For as long as one takes care of
him/herself with proper guidance from the
doctor, to avoid opportunistic diseases, one can
live for long into their sunset years” say Ndayisenga.
Early in the year, Government of Rwanda
through the Ministry of Health signed a $204
million (aboutRwf138bn) grant with the Global
Fund for implementation of the five-year
national strategic plan for HIV/Aids. This fund
expected to give Rwanda a lead on the resultbased
financing- a new approach that the Global
fund has taken in supporting health development
initiatives globally
www.worldhealthorganisation.com
Silvia-rugina@katakata.org
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