Covid-19; antiretroviral drugs were available but not condoms in Nyagatare district

During the covid-19 period, especially during the ‘Stay at Home’ program in Nyagatare, antiretroviral drugs were available to those who were already taking them, but the condoms were missing; this is according to some of the leaders of the prostitution group ‘Indangamirwa’.

Woman A (her name was not disclosed because she did not want it), says that in the stay-at-home program they took drugs not according to the normal plan, and that even the condoms were not available due to the ‘stay at home’ program.

Woman B (also unnamed because she requested it), said that due to the fact that Rwempasha’s treatment center, where they used to go for their antiretroviral drugs was a long way off, they had to go to Nyagatare Health Center.

Ms. C (one of the Indangamirwa group’s representatives) said, “We met with our representatives at the national level, a meeting was held in Nyagatare, and they asked us; do you have access to antiretroviral drugs? Are you isolated? What is it like here? We told them that we are staying at home but customers are not coming. ”

Ms. C goes on to say that what was missing is condoms but that the drugs were available without any problem. She said that usually Rwempasha is where they used to go for antiretroviral drugs, but that since motocycles were not there to take them it became too far and they failed to reach there, so they went to Nyagatare Health Center.

There is something they think needs to be improved

The women, who are members of the ‘indangamirwa’ group in Nyagatare district, say that some of their colleagues misuse or do not take medication due to lack of training and depression due to poverty, that they need special attention. What they think must be improved is how health counselors and some medical staffs treat them, urging the two to be careful not to put them in a cage, and for someone with HIV to be treated appropriately.

Authorities say how they see the problem

Ms. Juliette Murekatete, the Vice Mayor in charge of social affairs in Nyagatare District, says the problem of not taking medicines appropriately and condoms appeared in people who were not well informed because no one was ever barred from taking any medications.

Ms. Murekatete says they have even visited villages and the matter was reported to them; they in fact found that the matter was there. As response they sent a medical staff from the health center to get the antiretroviral drugs in the place of residence for those who needed it; she says that only to the silent ones who did not introduce the problem that they were facing, are the ones who continued to have problems.

Concerned that new HIV infections could increase due to the lack of condoms, Ms. Murekatete says that condoms were always available; anyone who wanted them could go and get them from the place that used to have them.

The Vice Mayor in charge of social affairs in Nyagatare District profits the opportunity to remind that even those with HIV should use a condom to prevent the spread of HIV and the additional contamination to their already sick bodies.