Kwilu province recorded more than 6,500 people living with HIV/AIDS, including 40 deaths, between the start of 2024 and the end of the third quarter. These figures were revealed on Friday, December 6 in Bandundu by the interim governor of the province, Jean-Malaud Mbongompasi, during the ceremony marking the official launch of World AIDS Day, celebrated each year on December 1.
According to the data presented, the provincial health service identified a total of 6,541 people living with HIV, including 4,053 women, 2,488 men and 289 children.
Of these cases, 40 deaths were recorded during the period. The interim governor also recalled that the prevalence of HIV in the province, according to a serosurveillance survey carried out in 2017 among pregnant women, is 1.2%.
Another worrying point raised by Jean-Malaud Mbongompasi is the limited access to treatments. Of the 4,301 patients requiring care, only 88 were able to access it due to regular shortages of medical supplies. Among these 88 patients, 31 successfully suppressed their viral load.
Faced with this situation, the interim governor appealed to the population of Kwilu to adopt responsible behavior in order to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS:
“Faced with this bleak picture, I invite you all to adopt optimal behaviors to end AIDS by 2030.”
Health
