Witches blamed for AIDS in the Congo
Aids Analysis Africa 5(4): 3
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 1016-8974 PMID: 12289855 Document Number: 291400
At least 10% of the 20,000 troops in the Congolese army are positive for HIV; in response, Dr. Pierre Pele, director of the National Programme for the Fight Against AIDS, is launching an information campaign in the barracks and considering the screening of recruits. AIDS has become the leading cause of death among adults 15-45 years old in Brazzaville, the capital of the Congo. 35% die from AIDS, and 20-40% of hospital beds are occupied by AIDS patients. The number of AIDS orphans has passed 10,000. Nationwide, AIDS is second biggest killer after malaria. Witchcraft is being blamed, and the relatives of the deceased are killing the witches whom they believe are responsible. The practice is common in the north; however, at least 10 people were killed in Brazzaville in February. Since 1986, 7773 AIDS cases have been reported to the World Health Organization, 2500 in the last two years. An estimated 100,000 Congolese, out of a total of two million, carry the virus. Thomas Sankara, the PanAfrican Association, a nongovernmental organization, has appealed to the public and private sectors to join forces and stabilize the epidemic by 1998. His main activities include: 1) sensitizing Congolese youth to condom use; 2) correcting misconceptions about the transmission of HIV; 3) encouraging family members to show compassion to those with HIV/AIDS; and 4) persuading those who are seropositive to practice safe sex.