“Our country can no longer tolerate children born and grow with HIV, when tools exist to prevent, detect and treat this infection effectively,” said President Félix Tshisekedi at a recent government conference in the southeast province of Lualaba, when he launched the five-year initiative.
Supported by an initial commitment of $ 18 million in national funds, the presidential initiative to put an end to pediatric AIDS will focus on political leadership, strengthening systems and access to inclusive health care, in particular for children, adolescents and pregnant women.
It also align itself well with the global commitments of the DRC in the context of the objective of sustainable development 3 (ODD 3) to ensure a healthy life and promote well-being for all.
Children are lagging behind
The initiative marks a commitment renewed by the DRC to combat the extremely limited access of children to HIV prevention and treatment services.
While the DRC has made significant progress in the response to HIV in adults – 91% of adults living with HIV now have access to antiretroviral treatment – children continue to delay.
Only 44% of children living with HIV in the country are currently receiving vital treatment, a figure that has been unchanged for more than a decade.
Each year, thousands of Congolese children are still infected, often due to a lack of screening in pregnant women, depriving the health system of a crucial opportunity to prevent the transmission of the mother to the child as well as the safeguarding of the life of the mother.
“The eradication of pediatric aid is a moral imperative, an imperative of social justice and an indicator of dignity,” said Tshisekedi.
Four basic priorities
The presidential initiative targets four main areas:
- Improvement of the early detection and treatment of HIV for childrenAdolescents and pregnant women
- Prevent new infections in childrenAdolescents and mothers
- Guarantee systematic and immediate treatment for diagnosed
- Remove structural barriers Make young people’s access to health services
A breath of fresh air
The joint United Nations program on HIV / AIDS (Helpless) praised the initiative as an example of the national leadership necessary to fill the critical gaps in the global HIV response.
Susan Kasedde, director of the Pays de l’Onusids in the DRC, congratulated the initiative as “a breath of fresh air” at a time when funding for global development is under pressure.
“At a time when development funds experiences turbulence and risks compromise the systems that support the most vulnerable, the leadership initiative of President Tshisekedi is a headlight of hope,” she said.
According to UNUSID, Recent financing discounts threaten the critical HIV services, with drug stocks and condoms fearing to run out in a few months. Key areas such as prenatal tests, pediatric processing and data quality monitoring has also been affected.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
