Free HIV and Hepatitis B screening campaign in Burkina Faso: SOBUPED launches the 5th edition on 14 and 15 December 2023

The Burkinabe Paediatric Society (SOBUPED) is organising the 5th edition of a free HIV and hepatitis B screening campaign on 14 and 15 December 2023 in 15 health facilities in Burkina Faso. The launch ceremony took place on 13 December 2023 in Ouagadougou.

The initiative aims to identify cases of HIV and hepatitis B in the general population, with a particular focus on children and adolescents.

Those who test positive will be treated in health facilities.

The campaign, organised to mark World AIDS Day, is supported by the Permanent Secretariat of the National Council for the Fight against AIDS and STIs (SP/CNLS-IST) and the Health Sector Programme for the Fight against AIDS and STIs (PSSLS-IST).

According to Dr Sylvie Ouédraogo of SOBUPED, the aim is to achieve the first UNAIDS target for 2030, namely that 95% of people living with HIV should know their serostatus.

The campaign aims to screen at least 1,500 people for hepatitis B and 5,000 for HIV.

Dr Ouédraogo stressed the importance of this campaign, citing 46 positive people, including 30 children and adolescents, identified between 2020 and 2022.

These cases were treated in accordance with established standards. SOBUPED will be working with the “Association of Youth for the Fight Against HIV, the National Network for Greater Involvement of People Infected in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso and female mediators to organise this event.

The campaign will take place at 15 sites, with the support of various organisations, to facilitate screening and treatment.

Dr Salam Dermé of SP/CNLS-IST emphasised that although progress has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso, results among children remain mixed.

Challenges remain, such as the reluctance of some parents to have their children tested. In the coming years, efforts will be stepped up to overcome these obstacles.

The UNAIDS 2023 report states that there are 97,000 PLHIV in Burkina Faso, 89% of whom are receiving care, but with a gap of 11%.

HIV prevalence among children is 0.6%, with 10,000 children infected, revealing a significant gap in the identification of positive cases.

The screening campaign aims to close these gaps and improve access to treatment for HIV-infected children and adults.

Cedric KABORE