Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
|
|
Integrated Regional Information Networks - December 24, 2001
At 1 percent in 1990, HIV prevalence in the rural areas was 7.5 percent by 2000, the minister for HIV/AIDS issues, Genevieve Sindabizera, told IRIN on Monday. She attributed the rise to the high level of promiscuity in camps for the displaced, which host some 432,000 people, and to lack of information on the disease.
The government had, therefore, taken steps to control the scourge, which in Burundi mostly affects people aged between 15 years and 25 years. The government is strengthening its capacity to provide HIV/AIDS information, employing HIV preventive measures and providing drugs to the victims, Dr Joseph Wakana, who head the nation's HIV/AIDS secretariat, told IRIN on Monday.
The economic impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has been dramatic in a country with an annual per capita income of US $140. It costs hospital authorities $832 to treat an AIDS-infected person up to the point of death.
"If AIDS continues at this rate, the projection is that by 2010 life expectancy will drop below 40 years, compared to 60 years if there were no AIDS," Wakana said.
011224
IR011213
Copyright © 2001 - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Integrated Regional Information Network. .
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2001. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980 – 2001. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .