RUYIGI December 10th (ABP) – Burundi celebrated World HIV/AIDS Day on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. Those ceremonies, which took place at the Urumuri stadium in the provincial headquarters of Ruyigi, were enhanced by the presence of the first lady of Burundi, Madame Angeline Ndayishimiye.
On that occasion, Mrs. Ndayishimiye positively appreciated the threshold already crossed in Burundi of 75 percent three times in prevention and support, also stressing that more than 78 percent of PLHIV in Burundi live in good health and can carry out rehabilitation work like any other citizen.
She, however, warned that even if most of those people present results with an undetectable level of HIV in the blood, one should never believe that they are cured. They must behave responsibly by avoiding dementia and sexual vagrancy.
The first lady finally castigated the risky behavior of certain young people who are unaware of the reality of HIV-AIDS and the hindrance that that scourge causes against the development of families, communities and the whole of society and thus called on them to pull themselves together and abandon behaviors such as excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages, which can lead to sexual disorder, drug consumption, polyandry and polygamy, to name but a few.
She promised to spare no effort in supporting, encouraging and supporting the fight against that scourge, until it is definitively eradicated in Burundi.
The representative of people living with HIV-AIDS in Burundi, Mr. Hamza Venant Burukukiye, in his remarks affirmed that people living with HIV-AIDS are delighted with the understanding and respect that they currently enjoy in most regions of Burundi thanks to the will and diligence of the people who gave their lives so that those infected people experience a better life. He subsequently awarded a cup as a thank you to the first lady for her daily support and support in the fight against HIV-AIDS.
However, he stressed that some Burundians maintain the old mentality of believing that all people living with HIV are individuals of bad morals or who are easily attracted to vagrancy and multiple sexual partnerships, and asked them to change their mentality.
That day was also marked by the guided tour of the first lady in the company of the UN authorities and the governor of the province, exhibition stands of works produced by the different associations of people living with HIV and also benefited from explanations of the various projects which work to promote and respect the rights of people living with HIV-AIDS