The Chairperson of the National AIDS Commission (NAC), Madam Theodosia Kolee, has revealed that 39,000 persons are living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Liberia.
She said, out of the number, 26,000 are women, 14,000 men and a good number of children, giving the country a prevalence rate of 2.1.
According to her, the number of homosexuals in Liberia is 74, 634 in the key population, and the HIV infected of that number are 14,707 persons.
The total number of people that are infected on a yearly basis is 1,900 and the number of death is 1,800 “due to some related causes.”
Speaking in Monrovia at the recent Ministry of Information regular press briefing, the NAC official said homosexuality is one of the key factors that is increasing HIV in Liberia, adding: “So it is time for us as a country and government to create programs and awareness about the high increase of HIV infection.”
According to her, Liberia should ensure that individuals who are infected must be put on treatment and those already on treatment should be encouraged to keep on their drugs to help them have a long life span.
Kolee stressed that discrimination is not the best solution for people living with HIV, but “we should rather provide the required medication and necessities to the patients in other for them to contribute to the development process of the society.
“Is important that we have a law against discrimination so that 90% of the people living with HIV can have justice,” Madame Kolee said, and called on all Liberian public and private institutions to work together in reducing the high rate of HIV in the country.
The National Aid Commission is an autonomous government agency that was established by an Act of the National Legislature to have oversight responsibility of the national HIV response.
LINA
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