Although the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently in a post-conflict period, the past five years of war have been devastating. The 2003 peace agreement allowed for the approval of the transitional constitution and government bodies. As the country is attempting to reunify and hold democratic elections, insecurity still exists.
One of the biggest challenges facing the new government is the AIDS epidemic. The conflict has decreased access to health care and humanitarian interventions. The prevalence of sexual violence during the war may have contributed to the spread of HIV. Now, approximately 2.6 million of the 60 million people in the DRC are living with HIV/AIDS. Only 3 percent of those in need of antiretroviral treatment are receiving it. As of 2004, an estimated 100,000 people have died of AIDS and more than 700,000 children are HIV/AIDS orphans, according to UNAIDS.
OSI's Sexual Health and Rights Project hosted a screening of Attendre Demain—Awaiting Tomorrow: HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, presented by Bukeni Tete Waruzi Beck, director of AJEDI-Ka/PES, an NGO that works with child soldiers and children affected by armed conflict. Bukeni Tete Waruzi Beck discussed the video, which was produced by AJEDI-Ka/PES in collaboration with WITNESS, a nonprofit that trains human rights defenders to use video as an advocacy tool.
Attendre Demain—Awaiting Tomorrow highlights the issues of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the DRC. Through the personal stories of two women and one young man, the film explores the human effects of HIV/AIDS when conflict and insecurity are added into the equation. Persons living with HIV/AIDS in the DRC face stigma, inadequate nutrition stemming from poverty, and lack access to health care. The video calls for critical assistance to those already living with HIV/AIDS, while documenting the need to stem the spread of the pandemic by strengthening outreach, testing, and prevention.