“Our country can no longer tolerate children who are born and grow with HIV, when there are tools to prevent, detect and effectively treat this infection,” said President Félix Tshisekedi at a recent government conference in the province of Lualaba del Southeast, while launching the five -year initiative.
Backed by an initial commitment of $ 18 million in national funds, the presidential initiative to end the pediatric AIDS will focus on political leadership, strengthening systems and access to inclusive medical care, particularly for pregnant children, adolescents and women.
It also aligns well with the global commitments of the RDC under the objective of sustainable development 3 (SDG 3) to guarantee healthy lives and promote everyone’s well -being.
Delayed children
The initiative marks a renewed commitment by the RDC to address the extremely limited access of children to HIV prevention and treatment services.
While the RDC has made notable advances in the HIV response of adults, 91 percent of adults living with HIV now have access to antiretroviral treatment, children continue to delay.
Only 44 percent of children living with HIV in the country currently receive treatment to save lives, a figure that has not changed for more than a decade.
Each year, thousands of Congolese children are still infected, often due to the lack of detection among pregnant women, depriving the health system of a crucial opportunity to prevent mother’s transmission to the mother and save the mother’s life.
“The eradication of pediatric AIDS is a moral imperative, an imperative of social justice and an indicator of dignity,” said Mr. Tshisekedi.
Four central priorities
The presidential initiative is aimed at four central areas:
- Improvement of early detection and HIV treatment for childrenteenagers and pregnant women
- Prevent new infections in childrenteenagers and mothers
- Guarantee immediate systematic treatment For the diagnosed
- Eliminate structural barriers hinder young people’s access to health services
A breath of fresh air
The UN Joint HIV/AIDS (UNAID) program praised the initiative as an example of the national leadership necessary to close critical gaps in the overall HIV response.
Susan Kasedde, director of a country of Onusida in the RDC, praised the initiative as “a fresh air breath” at a time when global development financing is under tension.
“At a time when development financing is experiencing turbulence and the risk of endangering the systems that support the most vulnerable, the leadership initiative of President Tshisekedi is a lighthouse of hope,” he said.
According to Unusida, recent fund cuts threaten HIV’s critical services, with feared medicines and condoms to run out in a matter of months. Key areas such as prenatal tests, pediatric treatment and data quality monitoring have also been affected.
