More People Get Treated For HIV/Aids NAS Director
Head of HIV and Aids Secretariat in Freetown Dr. Brima Kargbo has reported a phenomenal increase in the number of people treated for HIV/Aids in the country stating that the number treated has increased from 5 cases four years ago in 2005 to almost 600 people on record presently. Another marked development according to the Director noted in a telephone conversation with Sierra Express is the fact that the country now records a huge increase in use of condoms revealing that it has increased from 13% to 29% describing it as an encouraging sign in the combating of the disease. (Photo: Dr. Brima Kargbo)
Very soon he said funds secured from KFW will be released to various NGOs, CBOs and groups whose proposals fell through in applying for funds to help combat the disease in their various communities. He noted that interventions in the fight to hush the disease have been largely successful as for the past three years various surveys prove that the rate of new infections has been steadied; left with helping to take the trend in the fight downwards.
He spoke about government and support as very encouraging as according to him, moral and financial support from government has increased in the past two years adding that President Ernest Koroma is quite a committed man to the cause in the fight against the disease.
In the interview, the Director shared credit with in the recorded successes with many other institutions both local and international agencies as well as individual contributions. The NAS Director acknowledged the contributions of the CARE, UNAIDS, USAID, UNDP, the United States Embassy, DFID, Global Fund and many other collaborating institutions that he referred to as the backbone in the fight to curb the pandemic.
Despite the marked successes the Director said, “There are obvious hurdles in our way to reach the remaining targets we are hoping to achieve in the coming months and years; key among these he noted is the problem of funding, which he said although forthcoming to some extent; it is not enough to help undertake the many ventures the secretariat wants to undertake. We are still struggling with the reality that people still don’t seem to have taken up the reality that the disease actually exists, this is a challenge and we must fight to conquer it alongside the problem of stigma and discrimination.
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