Stigma and discrimination against people infected with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda has dropped by 80 per cent over recent years, showed a survey Tuesday, November 11.

The Rwanda HIV Stigma Index Survey was conducted by Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) from October 2019 to June 2020 to inform policies regarding the rights of people living with HIV, as part of efforts to end stigma and discrimination related to HIV.

HIV prevalence in Rwanda stands at 3 per cent, according to the survey. 

"Scaling up awareness campaigns, healthcare and universal access to antiretroviral drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS was responsible for reducing stigma," Innocent Turate, head of HIV and disease prevention control department at the RBC said at a virtual event when the survey was released.

With drugs, people living with the virus have been able to live normal lives because they are not sickly and are able to fend for themselves and families, which has also contributed to the reduction of stigma, he said.

Stigma and discrimination in the form of isolation from family and physical harassment have significantly dropped compared with previous years, Sylvie Muneza, the spokesperson of Rwanda Network of People Living with HIV, also said during the event.