The HIV mortality and infection rates have dropped on a general scale in the Central African nation of Chad, the country’s health authorities said on Friday.
Dabsou Guidaoussou, the secretary general of the Ministry of Public Health, said the infection rate has dropped from 3.3 percent in 2007 to 1 percent in 2022.
“We can also cite 45 percent reduction in new infections and 61 percent reduction in deaths between 2010 and 2022 as well as the 42 percent reduction in stigma and discrimination against infected people,” Guidaoussou said in a press briefing during activities to commemorate the World AIDS Day, which falls on Friday.
He said the progress was achieved thanks to years of innovative prevention and control and support from partners.
Chad aims to eliminate HIV by 2030 and wants to build community-driven innovative projects to achieve the goal.
“Communities must be at the heart of all HIV program planning, implementation and monitoring. Obstacles to community leadership role must be eliminated and a favorable environment necessary to facilitate the community role in providing HIV services and protecting human rights, including access to health, should be encouraged,” Guidaoussou said.
