Thursday, November 29, 2012

HIV/AIDS not a death sentence




The fact that you are diagnose with HIV/AIDS does not necessarily mean a death sentence has been passed on you, says Mr. Almami Barrow, Head of Health Action Aid The Gambia.

“I know people who have been with the disease for more than 35 years and are still going about their businesses, and you cannot tell what their status is by looking at them,” Mr. Barrow said during a press conference held at the National Aids Secretariat on Tuesday November 27, meant to discuss this year’s World Aids Day.   

Over the years, there has been an increase in access to voluntary testing and counseling and treatment services for people living with HIV in The Gambia. 
The first cases of HIV/AIDS in The Gambia were discovered in 1986, and today, some 18 to 26, 000 people are living with the virus, according to estimates by the agency, UNAIDS.

It is close to 27 years now since HIV/AIDS was discovered in The Gambia and there have been a lot of progress, Mr. Barrow said, the highest level of prevalence was 2.8 percent (%) and ever since the prevalence has been between 1.2% and 1.67%.

However, an estimated 500 people still die of HIV/AIDS or related diseases every year in The Gambia, meaning some 6000 people might have die of the disease since the turn of the new millennium. 

The theme from last year is “Getting to zero”, an advocacy and action-oriented campaign set in motion by world leaders to ensure "Zero new HIV infections, Zero AIDS-related deaths, and Zero discrimination." 

World Aids Day is marked globally on 1st December. In the Gambia, the NAS in collaboration with the UNAIDS Country Office, AATG, the National Aids Control Programme (NACP) and other partners will mark the Day with a calendar of event that will end in mid December.

Promising results

On a general outlook, there have been promising results in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including The Gambia.

UNAIDS Country Officer in The Gambia Mr. Nuha Ceesay said there have been more than 50% drop in new HIV infections across 25 countries since 2001, of which 13 countries are in sub-Saharan Africa, a region most affected by HIV.
High prevalence countries like Malawi have seen a 73% reduction in HIV infections and Botswana records a 71% drop.

The pace of progress is quickening in the wake of a global 60% increase in the numbers of people on treatment in the last two years. Six countries have seen a 40% decrease in the number of new infections in children in the last two years.

An optimistic Mr. Ceesay said achieving zero new infections in children is possible the UNAIDS to believe since half of all reductions in new HIV infections in the last two years have been among children. 

Also, countries like Botswana, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland and Zambia have achieved more than 80% coverage of HIV treatment.


Written by Modou S. Joof

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1 comment:

  1. my name is jenefer wilson, I was been suffering hardship from HIV/AIDS since 5yrs now, and i happen to have 2 kids for my husband, and now we cannot proceed to have another kids all because of my disease and now i have do all what a human like i and my husband can do just to get my disease healed, i have went to several places to seek for help not even one person could ever help, until i melt a comment on the daily news paper that was commented by Miss thabani joy about how this powerful traditional doctor help her get cured of the disease (HIV-AIDS) " my fellow beloved" i firstly taugh having a help from a spiritual traditional healer was a wrong idea, but i think of these, will i continue to stress on these disease all day when i have someone to help me save my life?" so i gather all my faiths and put in all interest to contact him through his Email address at Dr,ramahherbalhome@gmail.com , so after i have mailed him of helping get my disease cured, he respond to me fast as possible that i should not be afraid, that he is a truthful and powerful doctor which i firstly claimed him to be. So after all set has been done, he promise me that i will be healed but on a condition that i provide him some items and obeyed all his oracle said. I did all by accepting his oracolous fact and only to see that the following week Dr Ramah mail me on my mail box that my work is successfully done with his powers, i was first shocked and later arise to be the happiest woman on earth after i have concluded my final test on the hospital by my doctor that i am now HIV- Negative. My papers for check are with me and now i am happy and glad for his miraculous help and power.With these i say to everyone who might seek for any help, either for HIV cure or much more to contact him now at these following email now,
    Email: Dr.ramahherbalhome@gmail.com" sir thank you so much for your immediate cure of my disease, i must say for curing my disease, i owe you in return. Thanks and be blessed sir.
    His Email address is:Dr.ramahherbalhome@gmail.com.U can also contact him via his cell phone +2348066159471

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