Burundi: the Dedicated Teams helping People Deal with HIV

The National Association for the Support of HIV-Positive People (ANSS) is a veritable emblem of the fight against AIDS and HIV in Burundi. There’s a constant flow of people arriving and leaving its bustling Turiho center in Bujumbura, which welcomes an average of some 120 people per day, and provides regular care for close to 3,000 patients.  

"Here, we mainly welcome vulnerable people: mothers with their children, sex workers and homosexuals,” says Dr. Devote, one of the doctors in charge of screening at the center. We accompany them from screening to treatment, if necessary, and we also run awareness-raising campaigns." 

Four other branches have been opened in the country to care for patients at the national level. 

Further reading : Financing NGO projects

A stigmatized disease

This work is essential in a country where, as in so many parts of the world, those living with HIV are beset by stereotypes, or worse. 

“Claudine,” 38, has paid the price. She speaks to us under cover of anonymity to avoid being ostracized all over again. At the age of 16, she got pregnant, and during a routine medical appointment, was informed that she was HIV-positive. “When my parents found out, they were ashamed, and threw me out of the house. I was left with nothing, so I moved to Bujumbura and became a sex worker to earn some money." 

A few years later, she married. But the stigma of the disease caught up with her. "When my husband found out I was HIV-positive, he abandoned me and told all the neighbors and our landlord. I was completely rejected, so I left with my children," she says, her face careworn and weary. 

A young man calling himself Victor, 32, has managed to keep the "secret", as he calls it. "I haven't told anyone close to me, because I'd be too afraid of their reaction," he explains.  

Life-saving support 

Claudine benefited from support during prenatal consultations, which enabled her to follow a medical protocol to prevent transmission to her children. Thanks to PreP (preventive treatment to prevent infection by the virus), her five children are HIV-negative. 

This is part of a project implemented by Expertise France, aimed at combating HIV among young people. "It's especially hard to support teenagers, who sometimes want to stop their treatment,” says pediatrician Dr. Evelyne. “We work with them psychologically, to help them accept and understand why they need treatment.” 

And the treatments, which are very costly, are entirely paid for by the center. "I'm unemployed, I'm poor,” says Victor. “I could never afford to pay for these treatments and the follow-up tests. I'm really happy to have been able to get treatment here." 

This treatment was made possible thanks to various sources of funding, including from AFD, and was implemented by NGOs Coalition Plus and Sidaction. The psychological support is part of a project backed by Expertise France. 

Screening as many people as possible

In addition to treatment, prevention and screening are key to curbing the country's HIV epidemic. ANSS is carrying out activities in schools and communities, and encouraging young people to go and get tested. 

Some patients have also become spokespeople for the cause in their own circles, like Claudine (now a peer educator) and Victor. 

"I was trained to carry out the self-tests for other people. So I was able to detect several cases in my entourage, people whom I then offered to accompany to the ANSS center to confirm the screening so they could be looked after," says Claudine. 

As for Victor, he systematically urges his partners to go for screening.

Today, the Turiho center has become a reference center for sexual and reproductive health issues. Over the years, its activities have expanded to include screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and cervical cancer, as well as family planning advice. 

AFD Group supports ANSS via financing and the development of long-term partnerships with Sidaction and Coalition Plus, through the I-OSC mechanism. 

Care for teenagers, particularly psychological care, is part of a third project implemented by Expertise France through the program “l’Initiative”.