EASTERN PROVINCE

NGOMA — About 1000 residents have under gone Voluntary Counseling and Testing in Ngoma district in order to know their sero status. They also tested for HIV the virus that causes AIDS.

A one week exercise that started last Monday and ended yesterday was organized by an association called Ihorere Munyarwanda, an umbrella that helps districts to achieve their goals set out in the 2008 performance contracts signed with the president. The project is funded by Global Fund in association with the Aids Control Commission (CNLS)

The association mainly helps districts to reduce HIV/AIDS infections through preventative mechanisms. It also tries to establish the number of infected individuals across the country in order to help them access antiretroviral drugs.

The exercise was conducted in the five sectors of Kibungo, Gashanda, Sake, Kazo and Jarama out of the seven sectors that make up the district.

Aimable Mwananawe, the association national coordinator reiterated their commitment to helping districts achieve their set goals, especially by establishing the actual number of HIV/ADS infected people. The vulnerable members and genocide survivors who will be found infected, he said, will take the first priority in accessing antiretroviral drugs.

Mwananawe said most people who turn up for testing are those between 12 and 18 years old. They included students, bicycle taxi operators among others. "Its high time people realize that knowing your status helps you to look for ways of protecting self incase tested negative. And to look for drugs so that they can live longer if found infected," he said, without revealing the number of those found infected.

Olivier Nsabimana who is 22 years old, and cyclist said, "This is my first time to test for HIV to know my status and I was eager to get the results. Fortunately enough I found myself negative though I could not imagine that. I always thought I was infected."

He said that he would adopt the use condoms if at all he fails to abstain.

Marie Theresa Mukarugwiza 42-year old mother of five says, "I was encouraged by my husband who wanted to know my status. I had however refused because I knew I was infected though I had not tested."

She says her husband had tested before and he was found positive and this erased her hope. "I tested positive but the counselling I have got I now have hope of staying longer to look after and plan for my children who are still dependants," she adds.

Mukarugwiza’s two-year old girl-last born was the only one of her children found infected. "I had all along thought that my last three children are infected. Knowing the status of my children has also helped me since we have known how the family status stands and how we can look after our selves and our kid."

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