Statistics by the Ministry of Health indicate that the Rwandan Government annually spends $100 million for antiretroviral drugs to people with HIV/AIDS and $50 million for treatments done to regularly check how their health statuses stand.
The Ministry of Health says that only 83% of people with HIV infections take antiretroviral drugs as of June this year.
The HIV National Strategic Adviser at Rwanda Biomedical Center, RBC, Semakula Mohammed says that, "it would be a pleasure for us if all the infected took antiretroviral drugs because these drugs lengthen lives of the infected with HIV/AIDS."
The HIV/AIDS and STIs Diseases Division at RBC indicates that life expectancy for people living with HIV on antiretroviral drugs is more than 60 years, one year less than those who are HIV negative.
It says that ’’a person living with HIV/AIDS on Antiretroviral Therapy medications lower the viral load, fight infections, and improve the quality of life. They can lower your chances of transmitting the HIV to others."
According to Demographic Health Survey ,DHS, 2015, AIDS related deaths reduced by 82% while the viral load among people with HIV on ART reduced by 91%.
HIV prevalence in Rwanda.
In Rwanda, HIV prevalence has been stable since 2005 and remains at 3% in general. The DHS 2015 indicates that HIV prevalence is 6.3% in Kigali City being 2.6% in Southern Province, being 2.4% in Eastern and Western Provinces while it is 2.3% in the North.
Prevalence among sex workers is at 45.8%, being it is 4% in male sex workers while all people living with HIV count between 250,000 and 300,000 people in Rwanda.