Your daily Selection of IRIN Africa PlusNews reports, 12/15/2003

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U N I T E D N A T I O N S

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Integrated Regional Information Network

CONTENT:

1 - CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UN agency identifies sites for HIV/AIDS

centres

1 - CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: UN agency identifies sites for HIV/AIDS

centres

BANGUI, 15 December (PLUSNEWS) - The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has

begun identification of 16 sites for construction of HIV/AIDS

detection-prevention-treatment centres across the Central African

Republic, an official told IRIN on Friday.

Funding for the programme would come from the HIV/AIDS Global Fund, the

UNDP resident representative, Stan Nkwain, said. " This is a legitimate

ambition given the extent to which HIV/AIDS is ravaging the population, "

he said.

Nkwain added that the first phase of the two-year project, covering eight

centres, would cost US $8 million. The centres include two centres in the

capital, Bangui, one in Bossangoa, 305 km north of Bangui; one each in

Boura, Bambari and Bria, 454, 385 and 597 km northeast of Bangui

respectively; and one each in Bangassou and Mobaye, 742 and 608 km east of

Bangui respectively.

Nkwain headed a UNDP mission to Bossangoa and Bouar from 8-11 December,

which was aimed at assessing the needs of the local populations. Another

UNDP mission to the other four towns left Bangui on Saturday and is due to

assess the infrastructure and identify partners for the project. This

mission ends on Friday.

He said that in some places, new facilities would have to be built while

in others the existing health facilities would be reinforced. He said that

for each centre, about 10 local anti-HIV/AIDS NGOs were needed to share

tasks for awareness campaigns.

Once completed, he said, the centres would be used to test for HIV,

provide anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), treat opportunistic diseases as well

as prevent mother-to-child HIV/AIDS infections. The services would

initially benefit at least 7,000 HIV patients, who would receive free

treatment.

Nkwain also said that the funds would be used to train health personnel on

HIV treatment and follow-up of HIV patients. Currently, the CAR has only

11 medical doctors authorised by the Ministry of Health to prescribe HIV

drugs.

A major priority for the UNDP programme was the training of more doctors

on HIV drugs prescription, Nkwain said, adding that awareness education

drives would also be organised to urge the population to undergo HIV/AIDS

tests.

" While awaiting the completion of these centres, we are going to reinforce

the existing laboratories to enable them to start HIV tests, " Nkwain said.

A follow-up committee comprising government, UN and NGO officials and

other partners dealing with HIV/AIDS has been set up and is headed by the

representative of the UN Children’s Fund, Dr ph Foumbi.

After the first two years, the second three-year phase worth $17 million

would be launched for the remaining eight centres.

The HIV/AIDS Global Fund approved the whole programme after the World Bank

cancelled its $17 million programme on HIV/AIDS due to the government's

non-payment of its debt. Nkwain said that strategies had been laid down to

enable the government to manage the centres when the programme ends in

2008.

Government statistics indicate that the CAR remains the most HIV-affected

nation in central Africa with 14.8 percent of its 3.5 million inhabitants

being HIV positive.

Immediate former Prime Minister Abel Goumba, who was dismissed on Thursday

and later appointed Vice-President, announced on 5 December during

celebrations to mark World HIV/AIDS Day that 75 percent of hospitalised

patients at Bangui’s Hopital Communautaire were HIV positive.

[ENDS]

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