Seychelles observes World Aids Day |02 December 2020
Dr Gabriel addressing the gathering during the forum (Photos: Anel Robert)
December 1 is World Aids Day, a day to unite in the fight to end the HIV epidemic, support people living with HIV, and honour those who have lost their lives.
The 2020 theme ‘Global solidarity, shared responsibility’ focuses on the global commitment to deliver quality, people-centered HIV prevention and treatment services for impact. The theme also speaks to strengthening the capacity and resilience of communities and health systems to address HIV prevention services in the midst of a global pandemic. While Covid-19 has created major new challenges, the Ministry for Health and its partners remain committed to delivering high quality services for treatment and prevention of HIV, to the ones who are in need.
To commemorate the day the National Aids Council of the Ministry of Health organised a capacity building workshop where the theme ‘Global solidarity, shared responsibility’ was officially launched.
The ceremony was attended by the chief executive of the National Aids Council, Dr Anne Gabriel, principal secretary for Health, Dr Bernard Valentin, key members of the National Aids council, among other guests.
The ceremony began with a reflection by Reverend Christine Benoit, and a candle lighting for all who have passed away and who are living with Aids.
This was followed by a speech by the chairperson of the National Aids Council board (NACB), Dr Agnes Chetty, who briefly explained the core functions of the NACB.
Dr Chetty commented on the quickness with which Covid-19 vaccines are being developed compared to the increasingly stationary development in the fight to find a cure for HIV.
She expressed her gratitude to all those aiding to detect, treat and prevent Aids in our society, and reminded the audience that “we cannot drop the ball for HIV”.
Dr Gabriel then gave the participants an overview of the Covid-19 and HIV situation in Seychelles. Through a presentation, she explained that the detection of HIV cases have decreased but only because testing has decreased rapidly in 2020.
She expressed her worry that this does not mean that the percentage of the population suffering from HIV has decreased but instead people are infected but unaware of their status.
Dr Gabriel then proposed to the session her council’s national strategic plan, that aims at raising to 90% the number of HIV positive patients who know their status, receive antiretroviral therapy (ART) and those on ART that are virally stable.
The doctor also warned that people living with HIV are much more vulnerable and prone to the Covid-19 virus. Since the current number of Covid-19 cases have alarmingly risen to 182, the people of Seychelles have to abide by and adapt to the post-Covid new normal.
Members of the public are being urged to come forward and use the available preventive measures against HIV such as condoms and in the case of a possible risk of exposure, pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP).
Dr Valentin was then invited to officially launch World Aids Day. He said that the Covid-19 crisis has been a wakeup call for the Ministry of Health which is now working with governmental and non-governmental entities to improve HIV detection and treatment. He said that the target is to end Aids in Seychelles by 2030.
Dr Valentin implored the people of Seychelles to get tested, those that are tested positive take treatment and those negative get acquainted with prevention methods. He urged that we all work for an Aids free Seychelles.
In an interview with the press after the launch, Dr Gabriel noted that even during the Covid-19 pandemic the ministry has never ran out of HIV/Aids treatment for its patients.
“Even if we have not been able to conduct community testing we are still offering them in the hospital, but we have to put in place a more suitable structure in order to continue with our work,” she said.
She added that the National Aids Council and the Ministry of Health had targets set for 2021, 2022, and 2023 but with the hardships of Covid-19 the ministry will lag behind. In 2020 only 76 patients were getting treatment for HIV/Aids compared to 172 the previous year.
“Covid-19 has made us evaluate the way we were running things and has shown us areas where we can improve in order to adapt to this new normal,” she noted.
After 39 plus years since the outbreak of the virus, Dr Gabriel remarked that people are more aware of the disease and in this day and age access to information is more accessible than ever, but there are still people living in denial about the virus.
“Many people still think that HIV/Aids is a disease that will never impact their lives but this virus is still in the community. The World Aids Day aims at creating awareness about the Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (Aids). People are vulnerable to various infections and diseases after being positive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV),” said the doctor.
She continued by saying that it’s important for people to get tested regularly and use protection and noted that there has been an increase of HIV/Aids in young people and the number of homosexuals infected by the virus is at 12%.
With the country facing an economic setback and most ministries will be suffering from budget cuts, the doctor implored the government to not cut the budget for the National Aids Council as there is a possibility for medicine to become more expensive.
“We must prioritise the health department and make sure that even if there is an economic hardship the type of services the ministry is giving its patients never change,” she said.
