{An official from Rwanda’s Ministry of Health says currently about 125,000 people who are HIV positive are effectively taking antiretroviral drugs.}
In an Interview with IGIHE, Dr. Jean de Dieu Ngirabega, Director General, Clinical Services in the Ministry of Health and Head of the Institute of HIV/AIDS, Disease Prevention &Control (IHDPC) said, while referring to the number of people who were tested, that about 125,000 people living with HIV infections are effectively taking medicament
This number represents 90% of those who are at the stage of taking antiretroviral drugs which are now available in almost all health facilities across the country.
This number is commendable because the number of patients who take medicaments is increasingly going up, but there are others who still do not want to let the public know that there are HIV positive fearing to be stigmatized and that is why they take antiretroviral drugs anonymously.
ARVs prolong life and the chances for an infected person to stay healthy. They also decrease the risk of an infected person passing on the virus to someone else.
According to the latest data, HIV prevalence in adult population aged from 15- 49 years is 3% estimated at 206,000 people living with HIV, among them 50,000 don’t know that they are HIV positive and/or they never contacted health facilities for HIV services
{{Currently 3% 0f Rwandans are HIV positive}}.
HIV prevalence is 3.0% in the general pop 15-49, but 3.7% among women and 2.2% among men (DHS 2010)
Young women 15-24 are five times more infected than young men, and women 18-19 ten times more infected (DHS 2010)
High HIV prevalence in key populations, e.g. 51% among female sex workers (FSW BSS 2010)
GBV is a contributing factor to the epidemic – 54% of women have ever experienced physical or sexual violence
More than 90% of people eligible and in need of ARVs received them in 2011
He highlighted the importance of HIV programs at work place saying this is essential if we are to control AIDS epidemic. He therefore highlighted the vision of reaching global targets of Zero new HIV infections, Zero AIDS related death and Zero Stigma and discrimination associated to HIV and AIDS.
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