Rwanda yesterday observed the World Aids Day under the theme, "It’s everyone’s responsibility to prevent, treat HIV among our children and adolescents”.

This aptly challenges everyone to be the vanguard in prevention of HIV and promoting efforts to end stigma so that HIV-positive children can seek treatment. The time to scale up interventions to ensure HIV-positive children receive the treatment is long overdue. Presently, according to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), just over 40 per cent of the estimated HIV infected children are on life-saving treatment (Antiretroviral therapy - ART). 

Therefore, we need to increase awareness campaigns, especially among parents and guardians and in schools, so that all infected children access professional care and ART to lead normal lives. If over 80 per cent of the HIV-positive adult population receive life-saving treatment, our children should also benefit from the same support.

Children should not be condemned to die early because of fear of stigma. Besides, treatment is free of charge. The country has managed to reduce the HIV prevalent rate to 3 per cent, so managing the virus among children should not be that complex.

Parents should be encouraged to take their children for HIV testing because, according to RBC, the reason most children and adolescents are unable to receive treatment is because they are not getting tested for HIV. Fight stigma will mean more children will come forward and get treatment. This is necessary to fully contain the disease or, better still, kick HIV/AIDS out of Rwanda.

The onus is on community leaders, the Health ministry, parents and guardians, as well as religious and school administrations to form a joint front and promote HIV testing and treatment among children. It is also important for communities to understand that HIV is like any other sickness, and that all children are innocent and need love and care.