HIV/AIDS: INLS and partners carry out advocacy visits to the provinces of Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul

The National Institute for the Fight Against AIDS (INLS) carried out advocacy visits to the provinces of Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul, between 9 and 13 June 2024, with the aim of disseminating and ensuring support for the implementation of the VII National Strategic Plan for the Response to HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections, in order to strengthen, mainly HIV prevention and treatment actions among young people (including key populations), exposed children and children living with HIV, seeking to contribute to strengthening the integration of primary care and services, strengthening Sexual and Reproductive Health services and reducing the determinants of gender-based violence.

The mission included the participation of the joint United Nations team dealing with HIV/AIDS issues (UNAIDS, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UNFPA and WHO), as well as partners from Civil Society Organisations, namely ANASO, Associação Mwana Pwo, ACADEJ and MWENHO).

The mission to Lunda-Sul Province included an awareness-raising meeting with the Governor of Lunda-Sul, Félix Daniel, a meeting with the Provincial Directorate of Health, a Consultation with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and a field visit to the Lunda-Sul Provincial Maternity Hospital and the Saurimo Maternal and Child Centre, where intensive work was carried out to see how diagnoses, control and monitoring of people living with HIV are carried out, as well as how prenatal consultations and Family Planning work.

In the province of Lunda-Sul, after a meeting with the Governor, the Director General of INLS, Dr Lúcia Furtado, said that this was a visit to strengthen partnerships between various sectors, reinforcing the importance of involving the private sector as well, with the aim of sharing the main priorities and strategies, and above all, to look at the commitments that the country has made at global level, which is to end AIDS as a public health problem by 2030.

At the meeting with the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), UNFPA's HIV focal point, Ana Cristina Correia Lima, called on the CSOs to have a structured internal organisation that passes credibility and with projects that align with national and global goals. She also spoke about UNFPA's mandate and the expected targets, with an emphasis on Zero Sexually Transmitted Infections.

On the occasion, the UNAIDS representative in Angola, Mrs Hege Wagan, stressed that global commitments do not exist without the people who actually do the work in the community. She continued: "The global targets are there because we know we can achieve them if we work together. So here we are 'realising' how we can work better together, as the United Nations, civil society and the government."

The province of Lunda-Sul is the fourth with the highest HIV prevalence rate of 3.9 per cent, according to the 2015/2016 Multiple Health Indicator Survey. It is one of the provinces that contributes the highest number of new infections, especially in the 0-14 age group.

A similar programme took place a few days earlier (the 9th and 10th) in Lunda Norte Province, fulfilling the same objectives.