By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UNAIDS on Sunday has launched a bold new national initiative aimed to eliminate AIDS among children by 2030 a move hailed by the UN as “a beacon of hope” after growing global funding constraints.
President of DRC Félix Tshisekedi declared at a recent government conference in the south-eastern Lualaba province, as he launched the five-year initiative. “Our country can no longer tolerate children being born and growing up with HIV, when tools exist to prevent, detect and effectively treat this infection,”
Presidential Initiative to End Pediatric AIDS will focus on political leadership, systems strengthening and inclusive healthcare access particularly for children, adolescents, and pregnant women.
It is backed by an initial commitment of $18 million in national funds.
It aligns well with DRC’s global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.
The initiative marks a renewed commitment by the DRC to address children’s extremely limited access to HIV prevention and treatment services.
DRC has made notable strides in adult HIV response. 91 per cent of adults living with HIV now have access to antiretroviral treatment children continue to lag far behind.
Only 44 percent of children living with HIV in the country receive life saving treatment, a figure that has remained unchanged for over a decade.
Thousands of Congolese children are still infected, often due to a lack of screening among pregnant women, depriving the health system of a crucial opportunity to prevent mother-to-child transmission as well as saving the mother’s live.
“The eradication of paediatric AIDS is a moral imperative, an imperative of social justice and an indicator of dignity,” Mr. Tshisekedi said.
The UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS praised the initiative as an example of the national leadership needed to close critical gaps in global HIV response.
Susan Kasedde, UNAIDS Country Director in the DRC, commended the initiative as “a breath of fresh air” at a time when global development financing is under strain.
“At a time when development financing is experiencing turbulence and risk jeopardizing the systems that support the most vulnerable, President Tshisekedi’s leadership initiative is a beacon of hope,” she said.
According to UNAIDS, recent funding cuts are threatening critical HIV services, with stock of medication and condoms feared to run out within months. Key areas like antenatal testing, paediatric treatment and data quality monitoring have also been impacted.
