HIV/AIDS prevalence rate below 1% in Burundi
Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - The national prevalence rate of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has fallen from 6% to 0.9% over the past 15 years in Burundi, said the minister of Public Health, Ms. Lidwine Baradahana, on Friday, to mark International AIDS Day.
The theme for the 2023 edition of the Day is "Entrusting Leadership to Communities".
Overall, Minister Baradahana reported "enormous" progress in relation to the UN targets of "90-90-90".
By 2020, these targets were based on 90% of people living with HIV knowing their serological status, 90% of all people tested receiving sustainable antiretroviral treatment and 90% of people accessing antiretroviral treatment with a permanently suppressed viral load.
In Burundi, 89% of people living with HIV knew their status by the end of 2020, 98% had been put on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and 90% had suppressed their viral load.
As a result of this progress, Burundi is ranked 1st among the countries of West and Central Africa in terms of performance in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), she emphasized.
Among the success factors, Minister Baradahana cited "the Burundian government's commitment to the fight against HIV".
Other success factors include the decentralization of services, the country's willingness to apply the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the involvement of associations and community organizations, and financial support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.
In Burundi, the first case of AIDS was detected in 1983, and the National Programme to Combat the Pandemic was set up in 1988.
-0- PANA FB/JSG/SOC/BBA/RA 1Dec2023
