According to a communiqué from Anaso-Rede Angolana das Organizações de Serviços de HIV e AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to which Lusa had access, in the last six months of this year, the numbers point to an increase in this type of cases, which is "compromising efforts to prevent and combat the AIDS epidemic in Angola".
"Anaso's community observatory records an average of 15 reports per day of cases related to intentional transmission, which is worrying and if urgent measures are not taken, we could evolve into an alarming situation in the near future", warns the network.
The document emphasizes that the victims are mostly women between the ages of 15 and 39, with some social difficulties in meeting their needs, but there are also cases of men.
"Threats fall on adults over 50 with some financial health and who continue to promote the catorzinha phenomenon [adults with relationships with teenagers]", underlines the note.
This practice, according to Anaso, is also seen in young people "who in a negative way decide to consciously transmit the virus out of revenge and bad faith".
"We are aware that the number of cases in the country is greater and we regret the fact that most people who resort to Anaso, later ask to cancel the complaints for fear of reprisals on the part of the offenders or because of the stigma and discrimination," reads the statement.
The network stresses that it is working on a memorandum to submit to the police and the Angolan Bar Association so that these cases deserve treatment without exposure of people with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
Intentional transmission in Angola is a crime punishable with sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years, so Anaso encourages victims to file a complaint with the competent authorities, stressing that it has been monitoring court cases that end in convictions.
Angola, which currently has more than 350,000 people with HIV, of which 190,000 are women, registers an average of 21,000 new infections per year and around 13,000 AIDS-related deaths annually.
Only 58 percent of people with HIV in Angola know their HIV status and only 46 percent of people with the virus are taking antiretroviral therapy.
The platform, with 315 organizations developing community actions, in a universe of about 30 thousand activists and community health agents, defends people's awareness of behavior change and has been developing public campaigns to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with HIV.
"Anaso is also promoting spaces for dialogue on sex and sexuality, particularly with girls and boys because it understands that there is still a lack of information on the forms of transmission and prevention of HIV, both in urban and rural areas", stresses the note.
