Integrated Regional Information Networks - November 13, 2006

BANGUI, 13 November (PLUSNEWS) - More than one tenth of adults in the volatile Central African Republic (CAR) are living with HIV/AIDS, but foreign assistance has been hard to come by, leaving the country struggling to mount an effective response to the pandemic.

The HIV prevalence figures do not accurately reflect the disparities between the rural and urban areas. In the north, along the border with Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a region that is in a constant state of instability, infection rates are up to three times the national average.

Prevalence among young women aged 15-24 is five times that of men of the same age and the number of orphans continues to grow. In 2005, 140,000 children had lost one or both parents due to AIDS, according to UNAIDS.

The CAR has all the high-risk elements that are known to drive the pandemic - poverty, instability, population movements and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of terror during years of conflict.

"The problem of AIDS in the Central African Republic is really serious. If nothing is done now, when you come back in 10 years time there will only be graves," warned Donatienne Fetia, a member of the Central African Network of People living with HIV ('Recapev').

URGENT ACTION NEEDED

A study published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the 'Impact of HIV/AIDS on development in the Central African Republic', revealed that up to 70 percent of hospital beds are occupied by people living with the virus; noting that the HIV infection rate could exceed 18 percent in 2015 if nothing is done to address the epidemic.

Although the government allocated 200 million francs CFA (US$408,000) in 2006 for HIV/AIDS programmes, it has not been able to release the money.

Nevertheless, President, Francois Bozize, has declared HIV/AIDS a priority area in the field of public health. "We want to intensify the fight ... but the (gap) between our needs and what is available is enormous," said Dr Marcel Massanga, director of the National AIDS Committee's technical secretariat.

In October 2003, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria pledged US$25 million over five years for HIV/AIDS, becoming the country's biggest donor.

Through the Global Fund grant, 2,860 people, including about 100 children, were receiving antiretroviral (ARV) drugs by the end of September 2006. Less than 3,500 people in total are on the life-prolonging medication through the public and private sectors, but UNAIDS has estimated more than 30,000 people are in need of treatment.

"We are still waiting for international aid," said Dr Louis Ponzio, UNAIDS country coordinator. "There are funds but there is not enough money and we are trying to handle a runaway epidemic."

He called for urgent measures to address the epidemic, as the country was "on the brink of an abyss".

STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET

Close to 20,000 refugees, mostly from Sudan, the DRC and Chad, are living in the Central African Republic, and 150,000 people have been internally displaced, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

The NGOs that are still operating in the unstable country cannot cope with the demand.

"The demand generally exceeds what is available and patients come very late, when they have to come," said Dr Valentin Fikouma, medical head of a French Red Cross-run treatment centre. "They are in bad health and more than (half) of them are malnourished."

In addition, there are still not enough condoms. "We would need 16 million condoms a year to satisfy the needs in the Central African Republic. But we only have six million from all sources," noted Dr Basile Tambashe, resident representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

However, with awareness campaigns underway, and treatment gradually becoming available, the demand for HIV testing has increased sharply. More than 41,000 people have been tested since the Global Fund programme kicked off two years ago - almost double the number originally expected.

But once they have been tested, and if they are HIV positive, there is no care offered, said Elvire Yabada of the organisation for young HIV-positive women.

"In every little back street, house, district and suburb, there are people who are suffering alone at home. They don't have the courage to go to the hospital because they know there is no treatment. We are overwhelmed [by the requests for help] but we don't have any medication to give. We can only support them by talking to them," she added.

061113
IR061130

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. 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 – 2006. 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. .