Despite significant strides by governments in making HIV/ AIDS treatment a human right in Africa, both infected people and the general public are not yet aware of the rights of people living with the virus. The observation was made yesterday in Kigali during a meeting between the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) and local stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health. According to the Chairperson at ACHPR, Soyata Maiga, the public has not realised their responsibility in protecting people with HIV / AIDS and it is facilitating new HIV infections, especially among the youth. “We have gone around Africa seeking a response to AIDS based on human rights, and have recognised that there is a lot of violation of these rights other than medical problems that cause new cases of AIDS,” Maiga said. Nadege Uwase, from Kigali Hope Association, shared the experience of her association where six people succumbed to AIDS in the last one month alone due to abandoning ARVs, especially because of stigma. “Six youths died and we found that they had abandoned taking ARVs due to stigma in their homes and schools. It is because they did not stand for their rights and the people around them did not respect their right to treatment,” she said. Uwase also accounted new HIV infections on the stigma of taking ARVs. “Until society is aware of the right to HIV treatment, the epidemic will not be curbed,” she commented. Mohammed Semakura, the HIV National Strategic Plan advisor at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), told participants that the Government of Rwanda adopted “equity measures” over “equality measures” to tame AIDS prevalence. “We don’t just give equal health services to people, including those with AIDS, we give them extra services because the disease needs serious measures,” he said. He added that the Government availed self-testing tools in pharmacies such that people can easily access testing services. The first HIV case in Rwanda was recorded in Kigali in 1983 which was followed by the establishment of the National AIDS Programme four years later. After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda embarked on curbing the disease and became the first in Africa to commit, through World Trade Organisation, to buy ARVs from Canada. Three per cent of Rwandans are said to be infected with HIV and the biggest number (over six per cent) are in Kigali. The prevalence of HIV is high among sex-workers who account for nearly 50 per cent of all HIV positive Rwandans. More than 83 per cent of HIV infected people in Rwanda take ARVs. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
