Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
Bukavu, on the southern tip of lake Kivu, is a city living under the shadow of AIDS. The disease was slow to come here at first as the country had been isolated by an eight year war from the rest of the world. Yet in the past few years the combination of a crumbling health system, a huge increase in sexual violence and lack of proper education, has seen the disease take hold and spread.
Yet it is here, in this decaying town in the heart of this war ravaged country that the first signs of hope in the battle against AIDS can be found. International NGO Medicins Sans Frontieres first came to Bukavu in October 2000 and set up a clinic to treat those with HIV and AIDS.
ARV (Anti Retro Viral Treatment) was gradually introduced. It was the first time such a project had been tried in a war zone.
Left: A woman waits for a consultation in Bagera clinic, Bukavu.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
A woman, who has recently started on ARV treatment for HIV, is suffering some side effects so has been admitted to Bagera Hospital in Bukavu for observation.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
A woman, who is HIV positive sits in a consultation with a doctor from MSF, in Bagera clinic, Bukavu. Her baby is being closely monitored because it is too young to be tested for HIV.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
A positive test result.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
A woman who is taking ARV's stands on weighing scales in Bagera Clinic. The nutritional side of the program is a very important component; patients are weighed and monitored closely and food distribution is done once a week at each clinic.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
This 16 year old girl is HIV positive and is giving birth to her first child.HIV positive mothers are closely monitored and given ARV treatment prior to giving birth. Their babies are then tested at 18 months to see if they have been given the virus.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
A girl holds out her ARV treatment for that day. Each pill costs 50 cents so to treat a patient for a whole year costs 365 USD.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
An HIV positive patient, who is too ill to start on ARV treatment, lies in Bagera Hospital, Bukavu.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
A young boy sits by the bedside of his mother in Bagera Hospital Bukavu. She is HIV positive and has just started on ARV treatment.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
Atusha and her son sit in Bagera Hospital, Bukavu. She is HIV positive but her illness is too advanced to start treatment, but her son, who is also positive will start treatment shortly.
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Democratic Republic of Congo III, HIV/Aids Treatment Bukavu
November 2004
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