The risk of the spread of HIV / AIDS is currently increasing according to the organization Réseau Mad’aids. Awareness needs to be raised.
The Mad’aids Network gives a signal on a possible risk of the rise in the number of HIV/AIDS infections in the country. This announcement was made yesterday at the Drop’In Center in Beravina Itaosy in order to strengthen the popularization of the care of patients infected with the virus in Madagascar. “We would like to sound the alarm on this disease which is slowly spreading in society. Currently, and according to the figures obtained in June, nearly ten thousand eight hundred and thirty-six people are living with HIV in all of Madagascar”, emphasizes Firinga Johnson Victorius, director of the non-governmental organization.
Among the affected population, young people are the most numerous. A 4-year-old child would already be on treatment as HIV-positive. “The youngest population has the largest number of infected patients. They are under 40 years old and it is mainly the working population that is exposed”, he continues.
According to him, ten thousand three hundred and eighty-seven are undergoing treatment. The country remains particularly alert to the disease despite the low prevalence rate overall, which is currently less than 1%. UN AIDS, at an international AIDS conference in Montreal, Canada, in early August, highlighted the rise of HIV infection in some countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Latin America. Madagascar and some black African countries are part of the lot. According to the 2022 World Report, one person dies every minute from HIV/AIDS-related causes and 1.5 million people were newly infected with the virus in 2021, up from 3.2 million in 1996.
Mobilisation
Several factors prevent some people from getting tested, such as denial of the disease, fear of stigma, etc. However, several factors prevent some people from getting tested, to name only the denial of the disease and the fear of stigmatization. The Mad’Aids Network calls for mass mobilization and awareness of this danger.
The Covid-19 pandemic has made consideration of priority diseases and especially influenced the funding of AIDS. “The mobilization of civil society and the awareness of the State on the importance of considering HIV/AIDS is essential to stem the spread of the disease. Screening also makes it possible to detect HIV in time”, indicates the head of the organization. From community screening to self-testing, awareness-raising and timely care actions can limit the spread of HIV, especially among the youngest.
