The de facto President of the Republic, Jocelerme Privert, calls for solidarity, to the sense of responsibility and renewed action by all actors in the fight against HIV AIDS, on the occasion of the World Day against the epidemic on 1 December.

The Head of State welcomes on this occasion the courage of people infected with the virus, the support of their families and their relatives and the health professionals for their work of awareness, prevention and treatment of the disease. The fight must not stop at this moment; It must even intensify to minimize the risks and improve the care of patients.

Haiti has made much progress over the past decade in terms offight against the disease. The Head of State sees this effort as a sign that together we can eradicate the disease by 2025, according to the UN-AIDS plan, through responsible behavior of all, infected people and other actors in the chain.

The number of HIV-positive people receiving medical treatment in Haiti has more than doubled between 2010 and 2015 (more than 82,500 to date). In addition, new infections have decreased by more than 27% since 2004 and AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 49% since 2008. However, 150 961 people still live with HIV / AIDS in Haiti, according to official records, and the prevalence among girls aged 15 to 24 is three times higher than for boys of the same age.

Haiti is a priority country for accelerating the elimination of HIV by 2030. By 2016, the rate of HIV transmission from mothers to their babies at 6 weeks of life has increased to 4.23% while it was more than 12% in 2010. Despite these advances, in Haiti, 7,500 HIV-positive people die each year. The prevalence rate among adults aged 15-49 years is 2.2% (1.7% for men and 2.7% for women), but it rise to 12.9% for men who have sex with men and 8.7% for sex workers.

The spread of HIV in Haiti is linked to multiple factors such as poverty, low education, intergenerational sex, gender inequalities, or limited access to HIV prevention and treatment services. Sensitization actions such as screening and non-discrimination are part of the overall national strategy for the elimination of AIDS, which also includes the provision of treatment.

A commemorative march will be organized on December 4th by Health Through the Walls (HTW) between Juvenat and the Champs de Mars. This event focuses on youth, prevention and awareness-raising against discrimination.

HL/ HaitiLibre