Dijksteel expresses concern about the increase in HIV/AIDS and Syphilis among young Surinamese

VHP parliamentarian Cheryl Dijksteel asked for extra attention for HIV/AIDS care in Suriname in the National Assembly (DNA) on Tuesday evening.

“We have seen that actually since January last year, and the emphasis in December 2023 on World AIDS Day, that there has been an increase in the prevalence of AIDS infected people in Suriname. And that is an increase from 1.1% in 2020 to 1.6% in 2023. And that is an increase of almost 50%. That is shocking,” Dijksteel emphasized during the public meeting, which focused on public health, safety and energy and water rates.

She has received a letter from the standing parliamentary committee for Public Health in which HIV/AIDS practitioners express a cry for help about the lack of AIDS inhibitors (ARTs), important instruments, test and treat policy, tackling stigma and discrimination and a major awareness campaign regarding HIV/AIDS.

Furthermore, an increase in syphilis has also been noticed. “An awareness that takes preventative action with regard to this disease. What we’ve also seen is an increase in syphilis and we haven’t seen any policy on that yet.

In December last year, the Emergency Department also raised the alarm that young ladies who are pregnant end up in the ER with stage 4 syphilis. And we also see insufficient awareness campaigns there. We demand that this be prioritized because we do not want sexually transmitted diseases to reemerge. It is these young people we need to build our country,” said Dijksteel.