ICRC supports HIV/AIDS prevention drive

Prison inmates in three Burundi towns are due to begin on Monday a series of plays, song and dance skits, as well as poetry recitations designed to heighten their awareness of the problems of HIV/AIDS, the ICRC in Burundi announced.

ICRC said the activities, due to end on 6 Dec., will be conducted in the capital, Bujumbura, and in the towns of Gitega (90 km to the east) and Ngozi, 101 km northeast of the capital. The shows are to form part of its programme this year to raise AIDS awareness. The ICRC's main partners in this effort include Burundi's National Programme in the War Against AIDS (Programme National de Lutte contre le SIDA), the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (Le SWAA) and the National Programme in the War Against Tuberculosis. This year's effort consists of provision of information on HIV/AIDS prevention, AIDS testing and medical support for those suffering from opportunistic diseases linked to the disease.

Prisoners will be provided with condoms as an HIV preventive measure, ICRC's chief medical officer in Burundi, Dr Martin Schneider, said. In its programme to support the non-prison population, ICRC is providing regular supplies of drugs to hospitals and health centres for the treatment of sexually transmitted and opportunistic diseases. In addition, ICRC supplies protective gear to health care professionals.