HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) was one of the first African countries to recognize HIV, registering cases of HIV among hospital patients as early as 1983.
Basis
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a
Genetic research indicates that HIV originated in west-central Africa during the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.[4] AIDS was first recognized by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1981 and its cause—HIV infection—was identified in the early part of the decade.[5] Since its discovery, AIDS has caused an estimated 36 million deaths worldwide (as of 2012).[6] As of 2012, approximately 35.3 million people are living with HIV globally.[6]
A team at the
Prevalence
At the end of 2001, the Joint
The main mode of HIV transmission occurs through heterosexual activity, which is linked to 87% of cases. The most affected age groups are women aged 20 to 29 and men aged 30 to 39. Life expectancy in the DR Congo dropped 9% in the 1990s as a result of HIV/AIDS.[8]
According to UNAIDS, several factors fuel the spread of HIV in the DR Congo, including movement of large numbers of refugees and soldiers, scarcity and high cost of safe
The number of Congolese women living with HIV/AIDS is growing. UNAIDS estimates indicate that, at the end of 2001, more than 60% (670,000) of 1.1 million adults aged 15–49 currently living with HIV/AIDS were women. Infection rates among pregnant women tested in 1999 in major urban areas ranged from 2.7 to 5.4%. Outside the major urban areas, 8.5% of pregnant women tested in 1999 were HIV-positive.[8]
Between 1985 and 1997, infection rates among sex workers in Kinshasa ranged from 27 to 38%. More than one-half (58%) of the total population is under 15 years of age. The AIDS epidemic has had a disproportionate impact on children, causing high
In 2003 and 2004, a national HIV surveillance survey conducted jointly by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National AIDS Control Program among pregnant women revealed an increase in HIV prevalence rates in rural and urban areas highly affected by consecutive wars, e.g., in Lodja (6.6%) and in Kisangani (6.6%).[8]
In 2007, the first Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), a large and statistically representative study of 9,000 people, found a prevalence of 1.3% - 0.9% for men and 1.6% for women. [9][10]
Dynamics
Prostitution
UNAIDS reported in 2016 that there was an HIV prevalence of 5.7% amongst sex workers,[11] compared with 0.7% amongst the general population.[12] There is a reluctance to use condoms amongst the clients of sex workers, and will pay double the price for unprotected sex.[13] Médecins Sans Frontières distribute condoms to sex workers and encourage their use.[13]
National response
DR Congo is emerging from years of civil conflict. In 2003, former combatants signed peace agreements, and foreign troops left the country. National elections are scheduled for 2005. Despite poor health indicators and rampant poverty—leading to its 2004 rank as one of the 10 poorest countries in the world—DR Congo was one of the first countries in Africa to recognize and address HIV/AIDS as an epidemic and one of the few in which the rate of HIV infection has remained relatively stable.[8]
The interim DR Congo government has shown growing interest in expanding HIV/AIDS services and improving the quality of services but lacks the necessary infrastructure and resources. Therefore, HIV/AIDS activities have recently resumed, but only to a limited extent. As per the national HIV/AIDS strategic framework (1999–2008), the DR Congo government favors prevention, care, and advocacy activities that highlight community participation, human rights and ethics, and the needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS. To implement this strategy nationwide, the DR Congo government solicits participation from all development partners, including private sector, faith-based, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).[8]
Internal migration, endemic poverty, widespread risk behavior, sexually transmitted infections, and lack of a safe blood supply are some of the challenges to stemming HIV/AIDS in DR Congo.[8]
The National AIDS Control Program, chaired by the Minister of Health, was established in the early 1990s. Recently, with considerable support from the World Bank, the DR Congo is establishing a multisectoral national control program called Programme National Multisectorial de Lutte contre le SIDA. It is attached to the Office of the President and will act as the central unit for planning, coordination, and monitoring and evaluation of all HIV/AIDS/STI activities in the country. Another important opportunity offered to the DR Congo is funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.[8]
See also
References
- PMID 11396444.
- ISBN 9780387938356.)
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- PMID 22229120.
- PMID 17054781.
- ^ a b "Fact Sheet". UNAIDS.org. 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ^ BBC News Website: Aids - Origin of pandemic 'was 1920s Kinshasa'
- ^ USAID (November 2004). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- USAID DHS Program (August 2008). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Congo Democratic Republic DHS, 2007 - HIV Fact Sheet (English, French)".
- ^ "HIV prevalence amongst sex workers". www.aidsinfoonline.org. UNAIDS. 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ "Democratic Republic of the Congo 2017 Country Factsheet". www.unaids.org. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
- ^ a b Barkham, Patrick (19 December 2005). "Unprotected sex pays double, so poverty helps spread of HIV". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2018.