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Ailton Lima is a young Cabo-verdian living with HIV. At the time that he was diagnosed, in 2003, there was not much information available about the disease. Ailton explains, “We knew it existed, and we heard some foreigners talking about it.”

Victor Omoshehin has witnessed dramatic improvements in Nigeria’s HIV response. “Patients used to wait over four hours to see a doctor, leaving endless queues at treatment sites across the country,” said Mr Omoshehin. “Some people living with HIV were crossing over two local government areas, and in some cases, traveling to other states to pick up their drugs because of stigma.”

Sousa Chilaule, 46, widower and father of a 23-year-old girl, has been living with HIV/AIDS for almost 20 years. Even without confirmation of the diagnosis, he says that his wife, who died in 1998, “was a victim of HIV/AIDS as well”.

A pilot programme on HIV self-testing across six African countries shows that it significantly increases testing among adolescents, men, and people who have never tested before.

The much awaited Country Health Compact has finally taken off ground.  The Honourable Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Isatou Touray, this morning, launched the Gambia’s Health Compact. The Health Compact paves the way for renewed and strategic partnership between the Government of the Republic of The Gambia and health development partners. This partnership is eventually expected to accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage, i.e. access to high quality and affordable health care that will lead to improved and equitable health outcomes for all Gambians. The Health Compact is guided by the principles outlined within the framework of the International Health Partnership Plus (IHP+), the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the 2008 Accra Agenda for Action.

For sixteen years, Martin narrowly escaped death time and again. Today he describes himself as the phoenix reborn, alive and thriving, despite – or perhaps because of – living with HIV. At 24, this young man has already survived more hardships than most people face in a lifetime.