VHP MP Cheryl Dijksteel Urges More Attention to HIV/AIDS Care in Suriname – Shocking Increase in Cases Reported

VHP Member of Parliament Cheryl Dijksteel called for more attention to HIV/AIDS care in Suriname in the National Assembly (DNA) on Tuesday night.

“We have indeed seen since last January, and the emphasis in December 2023 on World AIDS Day, that there has been an increase in the incidence of people with AIDS in Suriname. And that’s an increase from 1.1% in 2020 to 1.6% in 2023. And that’s almost a 50% increase. That’s terrible,” said Dijksteel at the public meeting, which focused on public health, safety and energy and water levels.

She has received a letter from the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Public Health in which HIV/AIDS professionals are expressing a cry for help regarding the lack of anti-AIDS drugs (ARTs), important instruments, testing and treatment policy, dealing with stigma and discrimination and mass awareness. campaign against HIV/AIDS.

In addition, an increase in syphilis was noted. “Awareness that will take preventive measures regarding this disease. What we’ve also seen is an increase in syphilis and we haven’t seen any policy on that yet.

Last December, the Emergency Department also raised the alarm that there are young pregnant women in the ER with stage 4 syphilis. And we are also seeing enough awareness campaigns there. We want this to be prioritized as we do not want sexually transmitted diseases to re-emerge. It is these young people that we need to build our country,” said Dijksteel.