AIDS represent a serious problem in the Sudan: report
KHARTOUM, Sep 20, 2004 (Alanbaa) — The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) represent a serious problem in the Sudan and it is in continues increase due to the factors which helped in its escalation
These factors include the geographical location of the Sudan and its extended borders, neighboring nine countries in which the number of AIDS affected people is very high, besides the political instability in east and central Africa which led to population movement because of wars and natural catastrophes or because of the deteriorating economic conditions
The first AIDS case was discovered in the Sudan in 1986, while the officially reported cases till Dec. 2003 are 10,000 cases and the No. of the HIV is estimated at 60,000 among them 1496 cases were in Khartoum state till Mar. 2004. The prostitutes registered the highest percentage among the targeted groups and their infected ones are at 4.4 % followed by the refugees and the women who sell tea. The general characteristics of AIDS, is that it affects persons with heterosexual relationships by 97% and the geographical distribution of the AIDS map showed that Equatoria state is the highest in the number of infected people followed by the eastern state then Khartoum state ,according to the Sudanese Media Centre .
Director of the National Programme for Combating AIDS, Dr. Mohamed Abdull Hafeez, said, the finance of the AIDS programme comes through the United Nations Organizations working in the sphere of social development. He affirmed the discovery of a new treatment for the AIDS which cost more than 1000 us dollars but recently its price dropped to 300 $ dollars and the AIDS patients should take three types of medicines for life. The AIDS patients expenses on drugs amount to 46$ dollars per month, besides the use of anti viral medicines, all these medicines are available in the pharmacies now
He affirmed that the AIDS spread is great among patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STD). On his side, president of the Sudanese society for caring for AIDS patients, UZ Alkhair Osman said the objective of the society is to provide treatment for the patients who could not afford it
On another hand , Dr. Osama Algaili Deputy Secretary General of the International Forum for the Muslim Psychiatrists society and an Associate Professor in Alneelain University said the spread of the disease in this way indicates that there is a disorder in the social structure and the AIDS patient must be aware by the disease to help in curing themselves and in eliminating the disease from the society.
Translated by: Elham Mahmoud