Women more exposed to HIV/AIDS than men in Congo

Imprimer

Brazzaville, Congo, December 2 (Infosplusgabon) - Women show a prevalence rate higher than 3.7 per cent in Congo, the Congolese government declared here Tuesday on the occasion of the International AIDS Day celebrated 1 December every year.

 

According to a statement issued here, youths aged between 15 and 19 years present a prevalence rate estimated at 2.63 per cent.

 

The number of people living with HIV is 89,000, including 82,000 adults of more than 15 years or 92 per cent, and 7,000 children, or 8 per cent between zero and 14 years.

 

The new infections are dropping slowly, according to estimates, which say that 5,300 new infections were recorded, comprising 1,200 children and 4,100 adults.

 

The statement indicated that among teenagers and youths between 15 and 24 years, the number of new infections was four times higher in girls than boys.

 

According to the epidemiological sero-surveillance survey, the prevalence rate for pregnant women is estimated at 3.6 per cent.

 

The proportion of women received in prenatal consultation tested positive at the national level is set at 2.2 per cent in 2019.

 

The prevalence among prostitutes rose from 7.5 per cent in 2012 to 8.1 per cent in 2018. Within men who have sex with other men, the rate doubled respectively from 26.1 per cent to 41.2 per cent.

 

For persons living with HIV aware of their status, it is set at 50, according to the statistics of the year 2019.

 

Those living with HIV under antiretroviral treatment represent 25 per cent while 17 per cent for persons living with HIV under antiretroviral treatment had undetectable viral charge.

 

The analysis of epidemiological data, according to the government, requires a change of strategy, by orientating efforts to take up the challenges in the implementation of the combined prevention, the coverage of care within pregnant women living with HIV, the strengthening of HIV screening inputs and antiretroviral therapies during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

 

The commitment established by the government to attain the 80-90-90 goals and eradicate AIDS by the year 2030 has elaborate working plans.

 

Among these are the acceleration plan to reach targets towards the 90-90-90 goal for the period 2019-2020; the 2019-2020 national strategic framework for fight against HIV/AIDS and sexually transmittable diseases; and the national AIDS strategic prevention plan within youths and teenagers for the period 2020-2024.

 

"The country is in a phase of completion of the elaboration process of new submission requests to send to the World Fund within the framework of the 2020-2022 cycle of financing and the AIDS investment framework with the support of UNAIDS.

 

“That new framework will give the country strategic financial, technical and operational planning instrument. It will also enable rational planning of resources devoted to the fight against HIV/AIDS," said the Congolese government.

 

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/KLO/GABON2020

 

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