EASTERN PROVINCE BUGESERA — Mayange health center has started offering voluntary counseling and testing services of HIV/Aids, a top official at the centre said. Speaking to The New Times recently, an official at the centre, Theophile Ndabereye said that the centre has received the required testing kits from Global Fund to carry out HIV/Aids testing. He added that the development will enable HIV/Aids screening for pregnant women during antenatal visits.He also said that the activity would minimise the mother to child transmission of the virus. Initially area residents who wanted to know their viral status would travel many kilometres to Bugesera hospital. Ndabereye also said that the centre has started testing Tuberculosis; he further added that malaria has reduced mostly among children. He said that the centre has distributed treated mosquito nets. Malaria has reduced from 75 percent since January this year to 7.3 percent.” he said. Ndabereye added, “In October the millennium village project managed to massively distribute treated mosquito nets which also reduced Malaria.” Mayange health centre in Mayange sector is one of the projects funded by millennium villages in the country.The health centre has 18 bed facilities; four in the maternity wing while 14 are in the general ward. Mayange also said that every child brought for immunisation at the health centre is given a mosquito net.He added that formerly people used not to like sleeping under mosquito nets claiming that the nets generate a lot of heat, but with the help of health advisers they have been sensitised to use them.Ends
