San Salvador, 1 sep (EFE).-the Global Fund against HIV/AIDS today described as “solid” the work that is done El Salvador to address and counter this disease, although he acknowledged that the rights area should be strengthened human.
“From analysis until the evaluation have been taken into account the priorities of the country in what it refers to the HIV epidemic, i.e. the answer to this problem is very solid”, said Elizabeth Ponce, Coordinator of the team of consultants from the Global Fund, from 22 to 27 August evaluating national work against HIV/AIDS in this country.
During the presentation of the preliminary report of the consultancy, Ponce, of Ecuadorian origin, also acknowledged that there is a “gap” between what they say strategies on paper and that in truth “exists”, in reference to the strategies do not contain everything that the country is really making for what should be included.
“The aspect of human rights should also introduce new things, perhaps to strengthen strategies in terms of human rights” environment with this condition added.
Consultancy carried out by seven international evaluators highlighted, among other things, that the El Salvador programme “lacks mechanisms, indicators and activities to ensure the confidentiality and privacy for HIV testing”.
Between the strengths noted the inclusion of the Legislative Assembly and the Attorney-General for human rights within the actors responsible for the implementation of the programme against HIV/AIDS.
The final report will be presented in mid-September, he told Efe Olivier Letouzé, representative of the Global Fund in El Salvador, who also added that it must still pass by another process before being published.
“With this report the country may request funding to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS worldwide,” said Letouzé.
Total worldwide analysed programmes and/or strategies in 10 countries, of which El Salvador is the only Latin America.
According to Letouzé, the other countries are in Asia and Africa, which identified no.
For its part, the representative of the Joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in El Salvador, Herbert Betancourt, told Efe that while there has been to stabilize the disease in the country, “not the number of daily transmissions of between 5 to 6 people has been able to download, and that gives us some 2,000 people infected a year”, added.
“El Salvador is after Guatemala, after Belize, almost like Honduras but is in worse condition than Nicaragua and Costa Rica, let us say that we are at level medium” with regard to transmission of the virus, said Betancourt.
According to data from the Ministry of health, the first case of infection in El Salvador was recorded in 1984 and from that year until 31 March past were recorded 17.536 people with HIV and other 8.801 stage AIDS, for a total of 26.337 infected.
A team of consultants from the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, from 22 to 27 August, evaluaó the national work against HIV/AIDS in this country. EFE/file
