By James Innocent
United Nations mission in South Sudan concluded a ten-day HIV training for over 20 participants in Yei River County, Central Equatoria State, on Monday.
Participants included local government officials, health workers, security personnel, civil society representatives, members of the HIV Club in Yei, and media representatives.
UNMISS team leader James Mugo Muritihi stated that over 140,000 people are living with HIV in South Sudan. Of these, 51% (approximately 73,000) know their status, and 47% (around 67,000) are accessing lifesaving antiretroviral drugs, according to USAID data from 2023.
“We have seen that HIV prevalence in South Sudan dropped from 2.2% in 2010 to 1.6% in 2023. This progress could not have happened without significant efforts from the government, development partners, and the UN mission in South Sudan. Especially you, the graduating change agents today—you are important agents of change for this country,” Muritihi noted.
He further praised the UNMISS health unit for facilitating the ten-day training, preparing the change agents to become ambassadors for HIV awareness in their communities.
Joel Baba Alex, a founder of the HIV Club in Yei and a person living with HIV, expressed his gratitude to UNMISS and other partners for supporting the training.
He emphasized the importance of equipping HIV agents with accurate information to share with the public.
“I am pleased with UNMISS and the partners for responding to the needs of HIV agents in Yei,” Baba said. “It’s crucial to get the right information to share with the community. I have been living with HIV for many years, following medical directives alongside my wife, who is also positive. We have three children who are HIV-negative and living healthy lives.”
Baba called on partners to support the club in raising awareness about HIV, which remains a common issue and often leads to stigma.
Ruben Manyok, a police representative in Yei River County, pointed out that while HIV has no cure, it can be prevented through condom use.
He urged partners to create more awareness within the community to prevent the spread of the disease.
Rose Night, one of the participants, praised the UNMISS team for providing the ten-day training, which empowers them to prevent HIV and raise awareness in the public.
She urged fellow participants to take the training seriously and apply the skills and knowledge gained, emphasizing that HIV is real and currently has no cure.