The Board, Management, Staff and Members of the International Community of Women Living with HIV&AIDS Eastern Africa (ICWEA), stand with our members in the Republic of Burundi and all women and people living with HIV&AIDS during this period of unrest. We condemn violence of any nature. The violence that is reported in Burundi has negative impact on its citizens and the HIV&AIDS response. A situation like this comes with tension and fear for one’s life, fear of not being able to have one’s basic needs and uncertainty about the future.
For women living with HIV&AIDS in Burundi, life will only get more complicated because in addition to the general challenges and problems that the Burundians are facing, they will have no or limited access to HIV care and treatment including antiretroviral drugs.
As women living with HIV&AIDS, we understand the possible effects of skipping antiretroviral treatment to an individual and HIV response in general. We worry about the mothers under the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (eMTCT) programme, and their unborn babies.
Our member in Burundi says, “We are living in insecurity and some people have had to flee their households. Others live in the total fear. Accessing HIV care and treatment is not easy for people living with HIV and mothers and children under the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (eMTCT) programme. This situation is compromising the response to HIV and the eMTCT in particular.”
The UN Refugee Agency reports that already, more than 50,000 Burundians have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Some of these should be women living with HIV&AIDS as 2013 statistics provided by UNAIDS, indicate that 39,000 women in Burundi are living with HIV&AIDS.
We call upon the International Community to intervene and help restore peace in the Republic of Burundi.
Contacts
Lillian Mworeko Brenda Banura
Regional Coordinator Communications Officer
+256392947313 +256773152701
lmworeko@icwea.org bbanura@icwea.org
Twitter: @ICWEastAfrica
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ICWEasternAfrica.
Website: www.icwea.org
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