The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the mortality risk of HIV carriers and AIDS patients, which further increases the burden on HIV/AIDS prevention and campaign, Gilbert Mokoki, health minister of the Republic of the Congo said on Wednesday.

"The low vaccination rate against COVID-19 means that this co-infection needs to be taken into account in the national AIDS response", warned the health minister in a government statement to mark World AIDS Day that falls on Wednesday.

About 110,000 Congolese were infected with HIV in 2020, including 100,000 people aged between 15 and 49, while nearly 61,000 have died, said the Congolese minister, citing statistics by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Despite the fact that the virus persists on the African continent, Mokoki noted that the Congolese government has managed to put 27,371 people living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment in 2020, including 1,380 children under the age of 15.

Despite these efforts, many challenges remain, including the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with AIDS, Mokoki said, calling for a more tolerant ambiance for people infected with HIV.