With treatment, a person living with HIV becomes undetectable when tested. They will not transmit the virus in risky situations, and will enjoy good health. Hence the importance of screening. ZA
Available from health centers and NGOs such as Prévention Information Lutte contre le SIDA (PILS), these services will be decentralized in November. Self-testing kits will soon be available for anyone wishing to test themselves. From November 18 to 23, PILS teams will be touring the country as part of International Testing Week, organized for the fourth year running. One region per day: the caravan will stop off in Rose-Hill, Roche-Bois, Trou d’Eau Douce, Baie du Cap, Flacq and Grand Gaube. Anyone testing positive will have free access to treatment.
The Undetectable = Untransmissible (I=I) approach is one of the new prevention strategies aimed at halting the spread of HIV, in Mauritius as elsewhere in the world. Another innovation is Pre-exposureprophylaxis (PrEP). Taken before a risk situation, this treatment protects against infection, even in the event of exposure to HIV. Post-exposureprophylaxis (PEP) offers similar protection when administered in an emergency, in the event of an accident or assault.
The intensification of prevention and screening campaigns in Mauritius has been prompted by a worrying situation: around 400 new cases of HIV are recorded every year. These cases mainly concern young heterosexual adults, infected through unprotected sex. This trend is also observed on a regional scale, as discussed at the 20e Colloque VIH Océan Indien, held in Madagascar in October.
International AIDS Day, marked on the 1stst December, will be an opportunity to reflect on persistent discrimination. This year, PILS will organize an exhibition and present a report on stigmatization.
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