In a meeting on 12 October with the Prime Minister of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Matata Ponyo Mapon, UNAIDS Executive Director praised DRC’s leadership for organizing the 14th Summit of La Francophonie, which will be held in Kinshasa from 13-14 October.
Mr Sidibé congratulated the Prime Minister for supporting an increase in the national budget for the HIV response and encouraged his government to step up country-wide efforts to prevent new HIV infections among children. Prime Minister Mapon pledged, together with the Ministry of Health, to create a favorable national environment to eliminate new HIV infections among children.
According to government figures, nearly 1 million people are living with HIV in the DRC. Despite progress in the national HIV response, only 12% of people eligible for antiretroviral therapy are receiving it. Coverage of services that prevent new HIV infections among children is especially weak, at about 5%.
