In West and Central Africa
drugs for opportunistic infections. As a result, only 5% of Guineans have access to HIV testing and just over a quarter of those diagnosed with HIV get treatment.
The situation in Guinea reflects that of the West and Central Africa region: barely one in four people get the treatment they need. Our teams see the impact on the ground: in the Central African Republic, where 450000 people live with HIV, Aids-related illnesses have been the leading cause of death among the general population since 2000. — as well as for tuberculosis — has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. The same must happen in West and Central African countries.
All patients should receive between three- to six-month supplies of antiretrovirals, ideally through the community-based drug deliveries being rolled out today in South Africa. During the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, a MSF pilot project gave patients six-month supplies of drugs, allowing people to stay on treatment while clinics were shut.
Investing in education and communication to address stigma and promote HIV testing and treatment is equally vital. Hospitalisation for late-stage HIV should not be the last resort to treat the suffering we see.
South Africa saw almost 400000 new HIV infections and 180 000 Aids-related deaths in 2015, according to UNAids.
HIV remains the number one public health priority in South Africa. But the country has shown us that widespread access to treatment reduces stigma.
Although efforts against HIV need to be increased in Southern Africa, the people left behind over the past decade in West and Central Africa should not be forgotten once again.
Ambitious plans and directing available resources into effective strategies and models of care are needed to save lives and prevent new infections. This has to include access to free treatment and care as patient fees remain a major barrier to healthcare access for patients.
The situation in West and Central Africa represents a “now or never” moment in the global HIV response.