Panafrican News Agency - December 3, 2001

According to a UNDP report on the evolution of HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso, the HIV prevalence rate will rise from 8 percent in 2000 to 12 percent in 2003-2004, which could reduce the country's population growth rate by 0.5 percent.

However, most associations and NGOs are optimistic that they will win the fight against the pandemic. Their hope was raised by the fact that political authorities, health professionals, partners and populations are now becoming aware of the seriousness of the situation in Burkina Faso.

About five weeks to the 12th International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa, politicians and medical practitioners, as well as associations, are hoping that the meeting will enable the country to share the experiences of other countries.

Some 250,000 people died of AIDS in Burkina Faso in 1997. Apart from the high cost of treatment, AIDS patients in the country are not entitled to health benefits, which raises the problem of case management by the State.

"Were it not for the generosity of our association, I would not be here to answer your questions", said AIDS patient Amadou Ouedraogo, who acknowledged to be among the lucky few among Burkinabe AIDS patients.

In the past few months, he has been a member of "Live Positively", an association for AIDS prevention and case management".

Associations are at a loss, faced with their meagre resources and the scope of the disease, with hundreds of patients knocking on their door for medical care, counselling and social help.

"Case management of AIDS patients in Burkina Faso is still at an embryonic stage", said Vincent Bastien, another member of Live Positively who noted that only HIV/AIDS associations and NGO venture into this area.

Apart from the NGOs and associations, no government institutions are dealing with the issue.

Last May, with the snowball effect from the court case between South Africa and pharmaceutical companies, the Burkinabe government signed agreements with four laboratories.

The agreements cut the prices of antiretrovirals (ARVs) by 50 to 90 percent, and observers expected a rush of patients to the Purchasing House for Essential Generic Drugs (CAMEG), which has monopoly over ARVs since the agreements were signed.

However, five months after ARVs prices were slashed, statistics show that the number of CAMEG customers only rose by 51 percent.

According to Dr Placide Zigani, director of marketing and sales at CAMEG, the situation may be due to the patients' low purchasing power.

A senior official at the health ministry said that only 20,000 of the country's 730,000 AIDS patients are undergoing ARV treatment.

Apart from the cost of ARVs, the patients are faced with difficulties arising from the monopoly situation, distribution, decentralisation and dissemination of the products.

Meanwhile, Dr Victoire Benon of the Avenir pharmacy, a member of the Burkinabe Association of Pharmacists, pharmacies have stopped selling ARVs since the signing of the agreements, thus giving the monopoly to CAMEG.

She added that pharmacies only make a small benefit on ARVs, which also take a long time to sell.

Wholesalers have even stopped importing the product because health authorities have decided that all pharmacies must be trained on prescriptions before selling ARVs, said Guilaume Xavier, also a specialist.

Besides, the sale of ARVs is not decentralised in Burkina Faso, as CAMEG only has two regional depots in Bobo-Dioulasso and Koudougou, in addition to the one in Ouagadougou.

"Only major traders, politicians and expatriates from Northern countries manage to get antiretrovirals", said Blanche Soro, another AIDS patient.

As for the others, when they dare reveal their problem, they are sometimes taken care of by community organisations (NGOs, associations), she explained.

When the patient manages to get proper care, it is generally thanks to the solidarity of friends and family, Ambroise Wandaogo noted.

"However, that solidarity is often short-lived, and the patient is left to his fate", he added, noting that this change of attitude from friends and relatives stems from the multiple expenses a wage earner has to incur for the "extended African family", despite a meagre salary.

Since 1990, the government has set up a National AIDS Control Committee (CNLS). The CNLS, the backbone of the fight against the pandemic in Burkina Faso, co-ordinates the actions carried out by associations working in the area of AIDS.

More than 10 years on, the CNLS is faced with difficulties in its relations with NGOs, which are more active in the field.

Political commitment to the fight against AIDS has made it possible to develop information and awareness campaigns, as well as case management.

Burkina Faso has also organised symposia, launched the international partnership for HIV/AIDS control in Africa (7-8 December 1999), and hosted the conference of OAU health ministers (6-8 December 2000).

President Blaise Compaore personally announced in December 1997 that a National Solidarity Fund would be set up in February 1998 for people living with HIV/AIDS.

He also launched in February 1998 the multimedia campaign on "youth and reproductive health".

However, despite this political will, not much change is visible in the field, as proven by the fact that the National Solidarity Fund, whose announcement raised hopes among AIDS patients, has still not been set up.
011203
PA011213

Copyright ©1990, 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. Feedback/Contact Us.