Officially, at least 450,000 people are living with HIV In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Yet, less than 60% of them have access to a life-saving treatment in DRC, and it is estimated that only half of the people living with HIV are aware of their status. In a country where medical and psychosocial services for people living with HIV (PLHIV) are scarce, important cultural, religious, social and economic barriers to HIV prevention and care are a major challenge. As a result, nearly 13,000 people died in 2018 as a result of HIV/AIDS in the country, averaging 36 every day.

In Kinshasa, MSF teams working at the Kabinda Hospital Center (CHK) are daily witnesses of these barriers. Specialized in advanced HIV care, this MSF-run structure is crawling under the number of patients arriving in a (very) late stage of the disease. By fear of stigma or lack of information, many are screened too late and therefore start treatment too late. Others discontinue treatment due to the lack of available medicines or because of fees charged by some health facilities although antiretroviral therapy is assumed to be free. This opens the door to opportunistic infections and a more advanced stage of the disease.

The pictures in this album are supporting a long-read article (included in this album in EN, FR and SP) written by former MSF Advocacy Officer in Kinshasa during his stay in the capital city. The article illustrates a typical day at the CHK, where the author meets patients, their relatives and MSF staff discussing hopes and challenges in the fight against HIV in the country