Congo/ Fight against HIV/AIDS: validation of the biological and behavioral survey coupled with HIV serology

In collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Executive Directorate of the National Council for the Fight against HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Epidemics organized a workshop in Brazzaville on March 28 to validate the report of the "IBBS" survey of the key population in the Republic of Congo.

The meeting involved presenting and validating the results of the mapping of the population's frequentation and socialization sites; presenting the report on the behavioral and biological results of the blood samples taken during the biobehavioral survey of the key population; and presenting the results of the survey of the key population.blood samples taken during the bio-behavioural survey of the key population; validate the report on the behavioral and biological results of the blood samples taken during the survey.

"HIV/AIDS, the first cases of which were recorded in 1981, remains a major public health problem. The global toll of the pandemic since its first cases indicates that by 2023: 88.4 million people will be infected, with 42.3 million deaths, representing a case-fatality rate of 47.8%. For the year 2023, UNAIDS reported a total of 1.3 million people newly infected with HIV; 39.7 million people living with HIV, including 38.6 million adults aged over 15 and 1.4 millionchildren aged 0 to 14; and 630,000 people who died of AIDS-related illnesses ", said Benjamin Atipo, the Prime Minister's health advisor, in his opening address.

He also outlined the efforts made by stakeholders worldwide, which have resulted in a 39% drop in new HIV infections and a 51% drop in AIDS-related deaths between 2010 and 2023, and 75% therapeutic coverage for all people living with HIV...

In 2023, he continued, the key population will account for 70% of all new HIV infections worldwide, including 51% of new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Among these subjects, the risk of contracting HIV is 35 times higher among people who inject drugs, compared with those who don't; 30 times higher among men who have sex with men; and 14 times higher among transgender women, compared with other women.

As a reminder, in the Republic of Congo, the key population remains the focus of HIV/AIDS infection, and two previous surveys were specifically carried out among this group of subjects. Indeed, surveys carried out among the key population in 2012 and 2018 show an increase in HIV prevalence. As did the bio-behavioral survey coupled with HIV serology among the key population represented by female sex workers, men who have sex with men, drug users, gender minorities and the prison population. According to estimates, the Congo is one of the countries most affected by HIV in West and Central Africa. For the year 2023, UNAIDS estimated 120,000 people living with HIV in this country, for a prevalence of 3.2% (among 15-49 year-olds), 10,000 new infections and 6,300 AIDS-related deaths (...).

Source: www.adiac-congo.com/