USAID impressed with Rwanda’s progress on fighting HIV

The Director of the Office of East African Affairs at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Susan Fine, has said that Rwanda has made tremendous progress in fighting HIV/Aids and USAID is proud to partner with Rwanda in these efforts.

“It is exciting to witness Rwanda’s impressive progress in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, and I want to encourage us all – the Government of Rwanda, NGOs, health professionals, communities, and individuals – to renew our efforts this World AIDS Day to preventing the spread of HIV and caring for those living with HIV/AIDS in our communities” Fine remarked.

Fine made the remarks during her visit to Rwanda, this December 1, 2012, on World AIDS Day. During her visit, Fine toured ROADS II project site in Rusizi where she was able to learn more about the project’s efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS amongst Rwanda’s most at-risk populations.

Regional Outreach Addressing AIDS through Development Strategies—is a USAID-supported health project which seeks to holistically address the causes of HIV/AIDS amongst vulnerable populations including: commercial sex workers, low-income women, as well as mobile groups like truck drivers and fisherman.

The project is a five-year, $14.9 million project implemented by FHI360, and operating in five communities throughout the country, chosen for their high percentage of transient populations. The project sites include: Kigali City, Gatuna, Bugarama, Rusizi, and Gisenyi.

Ms. Fine also visited the Gihundwe Health Center and the Budike Landing Site on Lake Kivu in the western province of Rwanda, allowing her to see the project’s integration of clinical health services, peer education, and economic strengthening activities in order to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the foreign assistance agency of the United States Government. USAID supports $150 million of development assistance annually to Rwanda, with programs in health, economic development, education, and democracy and governance.

Rwanda has stepped up efforts to prevent new HIV infections to achieve the 2015 global target of zero new infections and government has put in place several initiatives to ensure a 0% record of new infections by 2015- such as the circumcision campaign, we would reduce new infections by 50%.

Other areas of focus have been seen in containing the HIV incidents that lead to new infections mainly in some target groups like the commercial sex workers of whom the HIV/AIDS prevalence is 51% and campaigns to ensure a reasonable reduction in the transmission of Mother to Child Infections.

Rwanda’s HIV/AIDS prevalence is 3% an equivalent of about 400,000 people from 7% in 2002 when the government set up measures to address the issue of HIV/Aids at a large scale by involving communities and local leaders.

http://ubuzimabwacu.com/2012/12/usaid-impressed-rwandas-progress-fighting-hiv/