{"id":58504,"date":"2025-06-29T10:37:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T10:37:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/dr-congo-new-initiative-to-eliminate-hiv-in-children-a-beacon-of-hope\/"},"modified":"2025-06-29T10:37:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T10:37:41","slug":"dr-congo-new-initiative-to-eliminate-hiv-in-children-a-beacon-of-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=58504","title":{"rendered":"DR Congo: New initiative to eliminate HIV in children \u2018a beacon of hope\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\u201cOur country can no longer tolerate children being born and growing up with HIV, when tools exist to prevent, detect and effectively treat this infection,\u201d President F\u00e9lix Tshisekedi declared at a recent government conference in the south-eastern Lualaba province, as he launched the five-year initiative.<\/p>\n

Backed by an initial commitment of $18 million in national funds, the Presidential Initiative to End Pediatric AIDS will focus on political leadership, systems strengthening and inclusive healthcare access particularly for children, adolescents, and pregnant women.<\/p>\n

It also aligns well with DRC\u2019s global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.<\/p>\n

Children lagging behind<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The initiative marks a renewed commitment by the DRC to address children\u2019s extremely limited access to HIV prevention and treatment services.<\/p>\n

While the DRC has made notable strides in adult HIV response \u2013 91 per cent of adults living with HIV now have access to antiretroviral treatment \u2013 children continue to lag far behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Only 44 per cent of children living with HIV in the country currently receive lifesaving treatment, a figure that has remained unchanged for over a decade.<\/p>\n

Every year, thousands of Congolese children are still infected, often due to a lack of screening among pregnant women, depriving the health system of a crucial opportunity to prevent mother-to-child transmission as well as saving the mother\u2019s live.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe eradication of paediatric AIDS is a moral imperative, an imperative of social justice and an indicator of dignity,\u201d Mr. Tshisekedi said.<\/p>\n

Four core priorities<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Presidential Initiative targets four core areas:<\/p>\n