When non-essential shops and markets were closed in Senegal in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, and movement between regions in the country was stopped, many people working in the informal sector, including people living with HIV, lost their income. Hunger was dangerously near for many.
Within days, the National Network of Associations of People Living with HIV in Senegal (RNP+) mobilized, setting out to its members the food aid options available from the government for 1 million eligible households and offering advice on how people should prevent themselves from becoming infected by the coronavirus.
“When people are asked to isolate themselves, we also need to make sure they have food and medicine. Communities of people living with HIV help each other to take care of themselves, isolate themselves, access medication when needed and take care of each other’s families,” said Soukèye Ndiaye, the Chairperson of RNP+.
Community leaders and nongovernmental organizations are playing an active role in Senegal in giving out clear and accurate information in order to avoid panic and in combating stigma and discrimination, against both HIV and COVID-19. RNP+ is monitoring the response to COVID-19 as it unfolds, mapping how COVID-19 is affecting the most vulnerable and bringing urgent issues to the attention of the government and service providers.
Advocacy with the National Alliance of Communities for Health and ENDA Santé enabled RNP+ to distributed more than 200 food and hygiene packs to the poorest families of people living with HIV. The UNAIDS country office in the country has stepped in by providing a grant to ensure that the One Family–One Kit programme continues to distribute aid to the people most in need.
RNP+ is also advocating for funding for people living with HIV to help them to travel to health centres, since transport costs have increased, and for financial support for the scaling up of the work of community health workers, who are active in the delivery of antiretroviral therapy.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring continuity of HIV treatment by distributing multimonth supplies of antiretroviral therapy is vital. Although RNP+ has called on the government for all people living with HIV to get multimonth refills, weaknesses in the supply chain, including inadequate assessments of the needs at some clinics for supplies of antiretroviral therapy and irregular supplies centrally, has meant that not all people who need such supplies are getting them. UNAIDS is supporting the government in tracking orders of antiretroviral medicines and in strengthening the supply chain.
The role of communities, especially communities of the most vulnerable, is critical in the time of COVID-19. “The history of the HIV epidemic has made it clear that the response to an epidemic is only effective if affected communities are fully involved in the response, from its planning through to its implementation and monitoring. Only then can a response be based on the realities and needs of all,” said Demba Kona, the UNAIDS Country Director for Senegal.
