By Mohamed Konneh
In a move to reinvigorate the national effort, the Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF), in collaboration with the National HIV/AIDS Secretariat, commenced World Aids Day celebrations with a media breakfast at the Sierra Palm Hotel, underscoring a renewed commitment to combating the disease. The event united the UN Family on AIDS response and key stakeholders.
In his welcome address, the Director General of the National Aids Secretariat, Abdulrahman Sesay, expressed his inspiration at the ongoing AIDS response programme. Mr. Sesay acknowledged that the past few years have presented several challenges, but emphasized that the work continues relentlessly.
“The breakfast today is part of our resolve on the commitment we’ve made and to also plan for the World Aids Day celebration proper,” he stated. The Director General noted that as stakeholders, it is crucial to share information about the response mechanism and called on all parties, including the media, to disseminate this information to the public, while also thanking donors for their sustained support.
Providing a statistical overview, Dr. Sulaiman Lakoh, Director of Disease and Control at the Ministry of Health, recounted the long history of HIV in Sierra Leone, with the first case detected in 1987. He revealed that the national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is currently 1.7 percent of the general population. Dr. Lakoh highlighted that children infected with the disease account for 60,000 of the cases, with Western Rural District having the highest prevalence and Kailahun the lowest.
He identified key populations—men having sex with men, female sex workers, and people who inject drugs—as high-risk groups based on their activities. While new infection rates stand at forty percent, Dr. Lakoh noted that AIDS-related deaths are declining due to improvements in the response mechanism.
The AHF representative, Dr. Kate Ssamula, reminded attendees that ending AIDS by 2030 is a key commitment. “As we get set to commemorate World Aids day, let us be reminded that over 40 thousand people across the world are infected with the disease,” she said, noting that half of this number is in Africa. Dr. Ssamula announced that AHF, in partnership with the government, has opened a clinic in Waterloo dedicated to HIV/AIDS treatment, care, and support, representing a significant investment in the national response. She stressed the media’s critical role in sharing accurate information and telling impactful stories to help achieve the 2030 goal.
Echoing the importance of the media, UNFPA Representative Haja Yoroh Bah emphasized its power in addressing stigma, prevention, and care. She stated that UNFPA has installed condom pickups in various locations across the country, championing condoms as a simple yet powerful tool in the fight to end AIDS by 2030.
Mary Ahmed, representing NETHIPS, stated that the theme of ending HIV/AIDS is a solemn commitment to those affected. She identified stigma and discrimination as a massive challenge that silences those living with the virus and deters others from getting tested. She called on the government, partners, media, and civil society to collaborate more closely and revamp community structures, which she described as powerful tools in the fight.
Striking a cautionary note, Mariama Dawo of Happy Kids and Adolescent questioned whether Sierra Leone is ready to eliminate HIV as a public health issue in the next five years, answering with a definitive “no.” She called on donors and the government to ensure test kits are always available in facilities and warned strongly against cutting funding for the vital programmes.
