PMTCT services where targeted pregnant women can be counseled and
tested voluntary for HIV.
95. Thanks to sustained Prevention Mother to Child Transmission Control
Therapy (PMTCT) campaigns and HIV testing during antenatal care
visits, considerable reduction has been recorded in HIV mother-to-child
transmission and was kept at 1.8% by 18 months since 2013. Among the
3,565,538 people voluntary tested from January to December 2015,
61.3% were women. Rwanda is currently on track to provide universal
access to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment for those in need by 2015. In
2015, 74.5% of adults and children eligible for ARVs received them50.
96. Every 5 years, the Government through the NISR, conducts the
Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Three editions have been
published and the fourth is due in 2014.The Rwanda Biomedical Center,
in collaboration with key Government departments, development
partners, the UN and civil society, regularly carry out research and
disseminate information on various health issues, including women’s
health. In 2013, the center, in collaboration with UNAIDS, published
the “Gender Assessment of Rwanda’s national HIV Response”. The
Ministry of Health and partners also carry out and publish research
results on different aspects of women’s health, such as the
“Comprehensive food security and vulnerability analysis and nutrition
survey” (2012). 51
Article 15: Right to Food Security
97. Recognized achievements have been recorded due to Government
initiatives including cow distribution to poor households (one cow per
family- Girinka programme), crop intensification and land
consolidation and post-harvest and granaries installation (ubuhunikiro).
This is also a major public health boost in reducing malnutrition and
stunting. In addition, the Government has put in place concrete
programmes to improve private sector development including
incubation centres for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in both
rural and urban areas, with a focus on women and youth and has also
50
51
Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Rwanda Global Aids Response Progress Report (GARPR), March 2014
NISR et al. 2012. Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis and Nutrition Survey. Rwanda.
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