HIV/Aids kills 12 people in Wau state: official

August 8, 2017 (WAU) – At least 12 people have died from the deadly HIV/Aids disease in South Sudan’s Wau state, the head of Sabreen, an association for the people living with the virus, disclosed.
The deaths, Karmela Arkangel said on Monday, occurred among those suffering from the disease in the state between May and July this year.

“The result is our people who have the virus unfrequented themselves from using a treatment like taking the Anti-Retroviral (ARV) drugs since they don’t have enough food to eat,” said Arkangelo.

HIV/Aids are a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Following initial infection, a person may not notice any symptoms or may experience a brief period of influenza-like illness followed by a period with no symptoms.

Arkangelo also said five patients with serious cases have also been admitted to Wau main teaching hospital in critical conditions.

She said that many of their members are now living in United Nations Protection of Civilians’ site (PoC) in Wau, where their health is deteriorating due to lack of good feeding and the poor hygiene.

Arkangelo, however, appealed to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to resume the provision of food rations to protection sites in Wau town in order to help the HIV/Aids victims feed well.

According to UNAIDS and the national Ministry of Health, South Sudan has an HIV prevalence among adults aged 15-49 years of 2.7 percent, meaning three in 100 adults are living with HIV. In 2013, UNAIDS estimated that 35 million people worldwide were living with HIV.

(ST)