Africa-Press – Angola. About 350,000 people live with HIV/AIDS in Angola, of which 200,000 are women, the president of the Angolan Network of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Service Organizations (ANASO), António Coelho, said on Friday.
Speaking to the press, at the end of the audience granted to him by the Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, the official said that the country continues to register a prevalence rate of 2%, which, given population growth, represents an increase in the number of people living with the virus.
“If five years ago they were 2% of 15 million inhabitants, today they are 2% of 35 million, which reflects a growth in the number of cases”, he explained.
According to ANASO manager, Angola registers, on average, 28 thousand new infections per year and about 13 thousand deaths associated with the disease. He also stressed that there are approximately 32 thousand children, from 0 to 14 years old, and 36 thousand young people living with HIV.
António Coelho considered the situation worrying, warning that the limitation of funds could aggravate the situation, reducing the quality and availability of services provided to communities, namely in access to antiretrovirals, tests, reagents and condoms.
The official informed that, during the meeting with the Vice-President, ANASO reaffirmed its availability to support the Executive in coordinating the actions of the National Commission for the Fight Against AIDS and Major Endemics, as well as in strengthening community work.
He also assured that the national leadership and civil society have been attentive to the work carried out by ANASO and that efforts are underway to create conditions for the continuity of funding for actions to respond to the epidemic.
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