Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at 1:00 PM
-Proposals collected by Noureddine HAZMI-
Casablanca – On the occasion of World AIDS Day, placed this year under the theme “Global solidarity and shared responsibility”, the president of the Association for the fight against AIDS (ALCS), Prof. Mehdi Karkouri , takes stock of the efforts made in Morocco in this area and how to effectively treat this disease, particularly in this exceptional situation marked by the pandemic of the new coronavirus (Covid-19).
Question: What is your assessment of the efforts to fight AIDS in Morocco?
Morocco is one of the few countries in the Middle East and North Africa that has managed to reduce the number of people affected by the disease year after year, thanks to the dedicated national program.
This performance is an undeniable achievement for Morocco. This is not the result of chance, but the result of 30 years of tireless actions carried out by the Ministry of Health and civil society.
Regarding the number of people with AIDS in Morocco, this amounts, according to the ministry, to 21,500, of whom 70 pc diagnosed follow their treatment free of charge, via the various structures of this department, while 30 pc are unaware that they are carriers of the disease. virus.
Question: What are the measures that people with AIDS must respect?
The virus carrier only realizes his illness after years of contamination, hence the need to do the analyzes before the onset of symptoms to start the triple therapy which makes it possible to limit the reproduction of the virus in the patient. organization.
The carrier of the virus, in this case, becomes like a person with a chronic illness, as the treatment prevents the development of symptoms and reduces the viral load in the body, which lessens the likelihood of transmission, whereas if the treatment is stopped, symptoms return.
Civil society fulfills its share of responsibility in raising awareness, like the ALCS which works, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, for an effective fight against disease and the social support of people. patients, especially those in precarious situations, in order to enable them to access treatment.
Question: Is there an impact of the coronavirus on the operation to fight against AIDS?
There is no doubt that the pandemic has had repercussions on this work, including the suspension of awareness campaigns, early diagnosis, prevention during the period of containment and the difficulties of travel to carry out the necessary analyzes, between other.
For people living with HIV who are on treatment on a regular basis, they are not required to take additional measures, but they must, like everyone else, comply with the preventive measures decided by the competent authorities in the fight against the spread of the new coronavirus.
Regarding the care of people affected in this exceptional health situation, the Ministry of Health reaffirmed that it will continue to protect people living with HIV, in collaboration with all partners and through the mobilization of resources. required.
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