Burkina Faso/HIV/AIDS: One hundred traditional chiefs commit themselves to fight effectively against the pandemic in the Centre West

An advocacy workshop for traditional leaders in the Centre West region organized by UNAIDS and the National Council for the Fight against HIV and STIs (CNLS-IST) was held on 16 November 2021 in Koudougou. The aim of this meeting was to engage effectively in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

After 40 years of relentless fight against HIV/AIDS, the disease continues to ravage the population. This advocacy workshop which took place on November 16, 2021 in the city of the red rider brought together a hundred traditional leaders with the objective of obtaining the adhesion of these notables to the process of fight against this disease. In this year 2021, statistics reveal that the city of Koudougou is the city with the highest prevalence of infection after Ouagadougou. Hence the commitment of traditional leaders to join hands to stop this pandemic in the locality.

"I wanted Koudougou to be the second city in terms of development and not the disease. Being a traditional chief, my hat should be used to help and promote social issues, that's the meaning of my commitment," said His Majesty Naaba Saaga I, chief of Issouka, on behalf of the other chiefs. For him, the fight against this disease is the responsibility of all and not only of the youth, because people contract HIV/AIDS in every stratum of society.

For the period January to September 2021, the seroprevalence rate is 0.7 nationwide, while the Centre West region has a rate of 0.8. As of 30 September 2021, the country has recorded several cases of new infections. Regarding screening, out of 50,000 women, 269 are positive. And out of 1,881 men who agreed to be tested, 31 are positive. According to Fulgence Kaboré, who is in charge of programmes at the regional office of the CNLST in the Centre West region, these figures clearly explain why men do not take part in screening. To date, he notes an active file of 3,817 people registered and put under ARV (anti retroviral).

"I appeal to the sensitivity of all actors so that, hand in hand, we can reverse the trend for the eradication of HIV in 2030 in Burkina Faso," said the programme officer. For him, these figures are the proof that the disease is still present. He commended the Rayimi Foundation for engaging traditional leaders in the fight against the disease.

"In the fight against HIV/AIDS and also against all pandemics, governments and donors have to work with civil society but also with communities to really take care of the sick. To get the community, you have to go through their leader. The government will not be able to do this without the contribution of traditional leaders. The more there is access to health care, the more we will move towards the end of AIDS in 2030," said Félicité Nsabimana Ndimira, UNAIDS Country Director in Burkina Faso.

According to her, UNAIDS and its 11 co-sponsoring agencies are working not only with communities but also with the government and civil society for technical and financial support for activities and training in order to strengthen their capacities. "There is more support for this action so that traditional leaders, through the Rayimi Foundation, can move forward and faster," she insisted, adding that the goal of her institution is to eradicate HIV/AIDS before the end of 2030. She confided that to achieve this, UNAIDS has opted for a global strategy that advocates the eradication of inequalities that fuel the AIDS epidemic and other pandemics in the world.

For Adama Dayo, representative of the permanent secretary of the CNLS, they are at a phase of elimination of the epidemic. According to him, this phase is more expensive and requires more specific and innovative actions. Hence his satisfaction to see the traditional chiefs gathered today at their side to help them track down the evil where it is. He added that new contaminations are more frequent in stable couples, hence the invitation to all segments of the population to get involved in the fight against this evil.

Following the plea, the traditional chiefs took a strong action through a solemn commitment to fight against this pandemic. "We, the traditional leaders of the Centre West region, take the commitment to fight against HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS. The chief of Issouka and president of the Rayimi Foundation, said that this is an act to show that they must be relays in the locality. Because, he says, "these different chiefs will return with the message, they will hold sessions with their people, host radio programs, invite young people from their homes and explain the situation that prevails.

Source: lefaso.net