UNAIDS chief hails progress in combating HIV/AIDS

The Executive Director of the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Michel Sidibé, has hailed Rwanda’s progress in containing the HIV/AIDS pandemic. He said this Thursday upon his arrival at Kigali International Airport. “Rwanda has registered good results with regard to the fight against HIV/AIDS in the last fifteen years especially by lowering transmission levels and increasing access to treatment for those who are infected,” Sidibé said. He however, added that a lot more is still required to stop mother-to-child transmission of the virus. In relation to the rate of infection, the top UN official cited that annually at a global level, over 350,000 babies still get infected with the virus at birth yet there are measures to curb this problem. “With lack of access to treatment this contributes to infant mortality rates worldwide and we must eliminate it,” he added. Sidibé affirmed UNAIDS’ commitment to provide resources to Rwanda to facilitate other prevention and treatment measures through promoting and mobilising donors supporting this cause. Together with other delegates, the Director is also set to attend the 59th Session of the World Health Organization meeting which is scheduled to take place in Kigali next week, between August 31 and September 4. He said that this conference will be a great collaborative effort for Rwanda and other countries to find solutions to major health issues that affect the continent. “It is not everyday — especially with the cross-roads we have on financial issues — that ministerial delegates like these, meet in a consultative effort to introduce reforms in the health system by increasing prevention and treatment of diseases,” he said with a smile. Ends

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UNAIDS chief hails progress in combating HIV/AIDS