By EDWIN MUSONI ( Photo: The New Times: First Lady Jeannette Kagame (C) together with other delegates at the closure of the International HIV Reasearch Conference in Kigali.)
The First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, has called for innovation in the fight against HIV/Aids as an additional mechanism in the prevention and treatment of the virus.
Mrs Kagame was yesterday speaking at the closure of the seventh edition of the International HIV Research Conference.
The three-day conference held under the theme: ‘Using evidence to save lives’ drew 400 global experts and researchers on HIV/Aids from 10 countries.
Mrs Kagame told participants that “by exchanging evidences and experiences, we are better able to continue the collective struggle against HIV/Aids.”
She commended the researchers for working hard to mitigate the impact of HIV/Aids on the world population.
“Even though we have not mastered the virus and its mutations, we have indeed made significant progress in treating it and preventing its transmission,” she said.
Mrs Kagame outlined measures Rwanda has put in place to combat HIV/Aids, pointing out that Africa is the most affected continent representing 90 per cent of the global HIV burden.
“HIV/Aids rates are aggravated by conflicts, socio-economic inequality, gender based sexual violence and forced migration,” Mrs Kagame said.
“We need more innovative ways to sustain the gains made. It is good we have learnt valuable lessons about the nature of HIV infections,” she added.
She said the challenge of HIV forces ‘us to stretch our abilities beyond what we have thought possible.’
During the conference on Wednesday, delegates launched a campaign to engage the media in awareness and early treatment campaign to reduce mortality and mobility.
The one-year campaign will run throughout 2015.
Latest statistics indicate that the prevalence rate in the country stands at 3 per cent.
Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, the head of HIV/Aids unit at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said the low prevalence rate since 2010 is an indication that HIV/Aids spread is under control.
“A study conducted through collaborative efforts of local and international researchers gives us hope about life expectancy for people who are on ARVs in Rwanda. Data indicates that a 15-year-old HIV positive person taking ARVs can live for 35 more years while a 40-year-old of similar status and taking ARVs can live for more 30 years meaning that this person can live up to the age of 70,” Nsanzimana said.
He added that another study presented at the conference proved that ARVs, do not only help those living with HIV/Aids but also the general public.
“Increase of antiretroviral treatment by 10 per cent is going to reduce HIV transmission by six per cent. Also transmission of the virus from mother to child has reduced by 1.8 per cent in the recent past.”
Although the government has increased its financial allocations to HIV prevention and treatments, Nzanzimana observed that there has been a sharp decline in external funding to HIV which calls for more investment in innovation to counter the challenge.
The international conference was also attended by children from all the 30 districts of the country who presented their views to delegates in regards to HIV prevention and treatment for children.
“Parents should openly discuss issues related to HIV prevention with their children while government should provide support for children infected and affected by HIV,” said Aline Irasoneye, who spoke on behalf of the children participants.
In detailing support to children infected with HIV, Irasoneye proposed a special school feeding programme to ensure that infected children get a nutritious meal and the use of peer educators within villages to help infected children take their ARVs.
This article was originally published on the New Times Rwanda
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