Posts

, ,

HIV/AIDS in Rwanda

HIV/AIDS in Rwanda The AIDS epidemic began in the early 1980s and has since become one of the world’s most difficult and devastating health hurdles to overcome. Due to the quick rise of HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, there was poor public understanding of how the disease spread, causing misinformation and fear. In Rwanda, before the turn of the century, there was little awareness of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and no prevention of mother-to-child transmission. From around 1996 to 1998, cases of HIV in the country peaked, only exacerbating the already permeating stigma and misinformation associated with the disease. Since 2005, however, rates of HIV/AIDS in Rwanda have relatively stabilized due to the persistent efforts of the Ministry of Health in Rwanda and international organizations.

Rwandan Ministry of Health Initiatives

The Ministry of Health combats the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS by updating its HIV guidelines every two years to curb the spread of misinformation, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports. Furthermore, it promotes age-specific counseling and medical training to help patients who have contracted the disease. Their media campaigns like “STOP SIDA” have also spread awareness for HIV prevention and treatment. The Ministry has increased its HIV testing efforts to catch the disease earlier. Consequently, new HIV infections have decreased by 56% over the last 15 years, according to WHO.

United States Support

The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is just one program that provides medical aid to combat HIV/AIDS in Rwanda. PEPFAR supports more than 50 countries around the world to prevent HIV infections and control the pandemic. Both PEPFAR and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partner with the Rwandan Ministry of Health in their efforts against the spread of HIV/AIDS. This has proven quite effective and the life expectancy of those with HIV who receive treatment has increased by more than 25 years as a result. Of approximately 250,000 infected persons in Rwanda, around 210,000 of them are actively being treated for HIV, a great increase from the 1990s when there was little awareness of the disease at all.

United Nations’ Efforts

The United Nations began the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 1996 to fight AIDS around the world. In Rwanda, UNAIDS has expanded HIV testing services to 99% of the country’s health facilities and prioritized prevention. The program also encourages outreach in communities with high rates of HIV infections. Moreover, UNAIDS implemented the 90-90-90 target as its goal for 2020, which consisted of diagnosing 90% of all people infected by HIV, 90% of those diagnosed beginning antiretroviral therapy (ARV) and 90% of those on ARVs having fully suppressed viral load.

The Present Day

A 2018/2019 study found that HIV among adults in Rwanda was as low as 3%. Research also revealed lower rates of HIV in younger generations than their older counterparts, indicating successful prevention measures in the country. With a negative trend in cases of HIV, it is clear the efforts against HIV/AIDS in Rwanda have proven successful and will continue to decline over time.

– Hannah Hipólito

Hannah is based in Tampa, FL, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

, ,

Disability and Poverty in Greece

Disability and Poverty in GreeceDisability and poverty can affect many areas around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 1.3 billion people have disabilities worldwide. Unfortunately, many people with disabilities often suffer from poverty as well. The combination of these two forces is a plight a lot harsher than many think. Disability and poverty in Greece is a struggle, but work is being done to address the challenges. 

The Link Between Disability and Poverty in Greece

The country has particular issues with access when it comes to disability and poverty in Greece. According to a policy brief done by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2021, people with disabilities deal with problems in getting the appropriate health care they need. The report cites how people have to resort to private health care because of the lack of public health care. Private health care is generally more expensive and is an option that impoverished people likely do not have.

Greece also has issues with children who have disabilities. Children who have what is described as physical disabilities often do not have the correct equipment to support them in classrooms. The education system in Greece also lacks sufficient personnel to help children who have physical and mental disabilities.

The theme of access for people with disabilities appears to extend to various areas in Greece. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Confederation of Disabled People Greece reported in 2020 that there was a lack of assistance provided to physically disabled individuals who were confined to their homes during the crisis.

In Greece, the majority of people with disabilities face challenges due to inadequate access to physical buildings. This encompasses a lack of access to buildings, transportation and mainstream areas. It’s crucial to highlight that, according to the U.S. Department of State, such access is mandated by law. Further, according to the report, some governmental agencies within Greece stated that certain work companies excluded people who have disabilities from jobs. This includes hiring boards looking over people who have disabilities.

Actions to Help

Tactics like these are what inadvertently cause people with disabilities to fall into instances of poverty. The disability unemployment rate rose to 31.1% in 2018 from 8.9% in 2002, with predictions of the pandemic to increase the number, according to the European Commission report on disability equality in 2021.

Greece is working to solve the issue of disability and poverty in the country. In 2021, the government launched the Child Guarantee Program in partnership with UNICEF. The program is designed to support children who have disabilities in getting the quality social services they need. Together for Children, a network of different aid organizations, also provided aid for those with intellectual disabilities.

The initiative has contacted more than 2000 families to help these young people. The Upraise Disability project also helped many people with disabilities in terms of online access. The project helped around 17 people get the assistance they needed through online programs, including things like access to their therapy, among other things, during the pandemic.

– Madison McCray
Photo: Flickr