The linkage between HIV infection and NCDs is very strong

ICASA 2011-Addis Ababa/Ethiopia
Workshop: Linkage between HIV Infection and NCDs
Organizer: Commonwealth Secretariat

On December 4-8, 2011 ICASA 2011 conference on HIV/AIDS and STIs has been held in Addis Ababa/Ethiopia and Agir Ensemble has got the opportunity to be represented by Dr Mateus Kambale Sahani with a poster presentation on PMTCT Program.

During the conference, a workshop was scheduled by commonwealth secretariat on the linkage between HIV and NCDs. We have followed interesting presentation on diabetes, Hypertension and cancers for HIV infected people.

It was shown that the linkage between HIV infection and NCDs is very strong and especially for cervical cancer which is a disease fully preventable by simple measures but people don’t pay attention on it and cervical cancer has become the leading cause of death by cancer among women in developing countries.
In many developing countries, cervical cancer screening service is not available and this attitude is not acceptable because people are dying by a preventable disease and HIV infection rate is increasing.

After a talk to commonwealth representatives, it was said that commonwealth could be ready to help to overcome this challenge but applicant should be from a commonwealth member country.
As Democratic Republic of Congo is not a commonwealth member, it could be important to find a partner organization from a commonwealth country to allow us working together for initiation of cervical cancer screening program.

We would like people who can help for this program to contact AGIR ENSEMBLE at: agirense@yahoo.fr or kambalesahani@yahoo.fr then details contact of commonwealth secretariat can be forwarded to them.

We look forward to hearing back from you very soon.

Best regards,

Mateus Kambale Sahani, M.D.
Agir Ensemble/Health Department.