The Ministry of Health will soon conduct the Rwanda Population HIV Impact Assessment (RPHIA) survey to get fresh numbers on HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C in Rwanda. The survey will be conducted by the Ministry of Health in partnership with ICAP, a company which supports programmes and research that address HIV/AIDS and related conditions and works to strengthen health systems in 29 countries across the globe. According to Dr Gallican Rwibasira, RPHIA study coordinator, the survey will be conducted in 11,000 randomly selected households in all districts across the country and will interview 30,000 persons ranging between 10 and 64 years old. “We are expecting new figures of HIV and AIDS at the provincial and national levels from the research, as well as people with resistant HIV. We will have a general image on how people take ARVs and the state of viral load suppression,” he said. The sample population will also be tested for hepatitis C in order to have the proper status of the disease, he said. “We will bring HIV testing services closer to the people,” said Rwibasira. Beata Sangwayire, HIV testing services senior officer at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said people who will participate in the survey are being trained and the sample households have already been chosen in conjunction with National Institute of Statistics. The survey will start on October 8 will last six months. Currently, the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate nationwide stands at 3 per cent. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
