Imbuto spreads anti-HIV infection campaign to Ngoma district

Imbuto Foundation has committed to accelerating progress of preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in Ngoma district.The move, announced at an advocacy meeting in Ngoma, on Tuesday, comes days after the Foundation said it would set up a model facility in Bugesera district, which will integrate elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV/Aids (EMTCT) services, through its Family Package projectThe First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, launched EMTCT in 2011. As one of the follow-up activities, Imbuto Foundation, with the support of UNAIDS, is working to mobilise communities to raise awareness.Speaking at the meeting, Dr Anita Asiimwe, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health in charge of Public Health and Primary Healthcare, said all pregnant women living with HIV in Rwanda could access ARVs for EMTCT.Asiimwe said mother-to-child transmission would be non-existent in the near future.“Our campaign will ensure that the majority of pregnant women access antenatal care; have information, counselling and other HIV prevention services available to them,” she said.Dr Asiimwe also disclosed that there were three new anti-retroviral drug types, available for treating pregnant women and preventing HIV infection in infants in Rwanda, including drugs that allow an HIV-positive mother to breast-feed for two years. “This is a positive development that we must exploit”.Dr William Namanya, the director of Kibungo Hospital, commended the Foundation’s initiative, saying women would access high quality life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services, including for their children.“With this new development, we can achieve universal access and elimination of MTCT. Women, regardless of their wealth, status or geographical location will benefit, once barriers to EMTCT are overcome,” he said.Due to access to antiviral drugs, HIV prevalence in Rwanda has remained at around 3 per cent since 2005, according to a recent Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey.

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Imbuto spreads anti-HIV infection campaign to Ngoma district