By Alphonse Rutazigwa
Among the people living with HIV/AIDS who take antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) at Kibuye Referral Hospital testifies in regard to how she was worried about the fact that she had contracted HIV/AIDS, but gradually she got acclimatized to her status, thus starting to take ARVs, lest preventing her from opportunistic diseases.
The testimony was presented on 28th September 2022, and requested for anonymity as per her rights to privacy pertaining to her health status.
The testimony highlighted how the infected person feels after knowing the status, and the importance of taking ARVs in accordance with medical advice, as a prerequisite for a long life, as well as the prevention of opportunistic diseases.
She said, “Adhering to programs regarding the way a person takes ARVs is fundamental, if a person living with HIV/AIDS is to live longer, because if the patient approves the status, and to take the medicine accordingly, its key for a peaceful coexistence with the community.”
She reiterated that before 2001, the mortality rate due to HIV/AIDS WAS very high, and she added on that it’s the period her husband died, later when she came for a medical checkup, she tested positive to the virus that causes HIV/AIDS which proved to be a herculean task to get acclimatized to such a status.
She had this to say, “At first it was extremely hard, because there was a lot of hullaballoo about the patient’s health, people could murmur, that the patient would die within the next two days, however, due to good governance, we got advocacy which enabled the Referral Hospital to acquire ARVs, and until todate, a person who takes ARVs in accordance to medical advice, there isn’t any problem they can encounter
If a person sticks to medical advice in the context of taking ARVs, there is hardly any difference between a person who doesn’t have any virus, because he/she strives to work for national development.
She said, “ So far I have spent seventeen (17)years on ARVs, I’m fine, there isn’t any opportunistic disease I have ever suffered from, as a result of sticking to all medical programs.”
Dusabimana Innocent who heads the Department for ARVs prescription at Kibuye Referral Hospital pointed out that they do inspect ten (10) Health Centers on regular basis, thereby highlighting statistics indicating the current trend of events as per the HIV/AIDS prevalence.
He said, “ The Department caters for eight hundred and ninety (890) patients, however, the data is varied, because there are some who keep on relocating thereby rendering them to take ARVs from other health facilities, others do pass away as well as others who relocate to this area.
Males are three hundred and sixty two (362), whereas females are five hundred and twenty eight (528), among these include children who are under 15, are 18, and 51 youths, and among those boys happen to be 22 and 29 girls.”
Dusabimana clarified about the social strata they mainly focus on as well as the decrease of viral loads In their bodies.
He had this to say, “The ones we mainly focus on include prostitutes who testify about their engagement in prostitution at Bwishyura and men, all of them total to 51, due to consequences they can render if there aren’t carefully monitored
Among our clients include some who strictly follow ARVs prescription, in accordance to the viral loads that characterize them where in some instances their viral loads are under 200.
Apparently we have statistics pertaining to patients who viral loads have decrease up to 95%, because those with a big number are 873, percentage wise there 98.1%, and among them include some who are put on ARVs immediately, where some are given a three (3)months’ dosage, and the ones we have are given a six (6) months’ dosage.”
He said that those who are given a 6 months dosage equal to 518, whereas for 3 months’ dosage are 303, however, there are others who haven’t yet reached that stage, who receive the dosage on a monthly basis.
Those who receive a six (6) months’ dosage are 60% and those who are given a three (3) months’ dosage are at the rate of 95%, and the national target in regard to persons on ARVs is to register 85% of patients on ARVs.
Dusabimana said, “We would like to register 100%, which would in turn prevent opportunistic diseases as well as other diseases, or else reduce their immunity, which would render them to be sickly on a perpetual basis.”
He reiterated that apart from ARVs prescription, they do sensitize the citizens about HIV/AIDS preventive measures, nutrition, and visiting different groups.”
Conclusively, he said that they do appreciate the improvement which has been registered, because mortality as a result of refusing to take ARVs or irregularity in terms of taking ARVs thus dying because of opportunistic diseases between January up to 28th September 2022, they had 4 people who died of other diseases like any other person, not necessarily being HIV/AIDS.
The testimonies were presented to the press when the journalists who focus on health issues had visited Kibuye Referral Hospital in Karongi District.
