Africa-Press – Seychelles. A workshop for young people and media representatives will be among the main activities planned for this year’s Indian Ocean Colloquium on HIV/Aids, Hepatitis and Addictology (colloque) on November 13, 14 and 15, 2023, in Seychelles.
Following its announcement of the gathering mid-week, the Ministry of Health held a press conference last Thursday to outline the activities expected on the programme and give a status of the HIV/Aids pandemic in Seychelles, as well as ongoing programmes to curb the infection rate, treat infected persons and eliminate stigma.
It should be noted that the colloque which takes place every five years, did not go ahead as planned in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning the major regional conference is resuming after an eight-year hiatus.
Speaking at the press conference at the Sheikh Khalifa’s conference room, the chairperson of the committee planning the conference, Dr Anne Gabriel, said the colloquium was a huge opportunity for Seychelles and forms part of a strategy to re-energise the island communities, bringing new life into the HIV and Aids agenda and seeks to sustain gains made since 1986, when the first person was reported with HIV in the sub-region.
“It is an opportunity to raise our voices on HIV/Aids and hepatitis because these pandemic are usually overlooked or forgotten. It is also an opportunity for young people to learn about HIV/Aids and for the media to increase their knowledge on the pandemic,” said Dr Gabriel.
The three-day gathering will include plenary sessions, parallel workshops and an exhibition and will take place at the Savoy Seychelles Resort and Spa and the committee is presently finalising the programme.
Over 200 delegates from the Comoros, Mayotte, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Réunion, Maldives and Seychelles, as well as representatives from multilateral and bilateral organisations, governments, private sector and the civil society will take part in the discussion.
Each country will have 20 delegates, with the majority of slots reserved for the host country.
This year’s title is‘VIH au Cœur des Soins Intégrés et Accessibles’, which emphasises on access to treatment.
Dr Gabriel said despite significant progress, countries must do more to fight stigma, protect human rights of those living with the virus and make tests and treatment accessible to clients.
She said that 72 cases were detected in Seychelles in 2022, including a child who contracted the vius through the mother.
28 people also died of HIV/Aids-related diseases last year.
“Unfortunately people come forward when they are at the Aids stage and if they get Covid or pneumonia during the Aids stage then they get complications that lead to death,” explained Dr Gabriel.
Since 1987 to date, 1398 cases have been detected. The majority – 907 – are men and 491 women. There are presently 989 active cases in the ministry’s database and 80 percent of the infected population are following their treatment.
For More News And Analysis About Seychelles Follow Africa-Press
