HIV patients in Senegal are staying away from treatment centres in growing numbers as a government crackdown on LGBTQ individuals intensifies across the country, raising alarms among health officials about the long-term consequences for the nation’s fight against the virus.
Health officials and government data showed that fewer patients are visiting some HIV treatment centres in Senegal amid a wave of arrests targeting LGBTQ people, threatening the country’s fight against the virus.
On 12th March, 2026, parliament voted to impose harsher penalties for same-sex conduct, doubling the maximum prison sentence to ten years and criminalising the promotion of homosexuality. The maximum fine was simultaneously raised to 10 million CFA francs (US$18,000).
According to human rights groups and local media, at least 86 people have been arrested since the crackdown began in early February, including 18 individuals detained during a single raid on 19th April in Linguère, about 300 kilometres northeast of Dakar. Two convictions have already been secured under the new legislation.
The impact on public health has been swift and measurable. The National Council for the Fight Against AIDS (CNLS) surveyed 22 HIV treatment centres over three days at the end of February and found that 1,803 patients visited during that month, down from 2,425 in January, a drop of 25.6 per cent. Follow-up interviews with more than 50 men who have sex with men confirmed they were avoiding centres out of fear of being identified, arrested, or subjected to harassment.
The National Alliance Against AIDS (ANCS), a non-governmental organisation working with key populations, informed partners in an email dated 23rd February that it was suspending interventions targeting groups most exposed to HIV, citing the difficult environment created by the arrests.
The situation is compounded by media conduct. Dr Safiatou Thiam, former health minister and CNLS executive director, said some Senegalese outlets have published the full names and HIV statuses of detained individuals, exposing them to stigma and abuse. “We certainly fear, and this has been confirmed, that this wave of arrests will have repercussions for our work,” she said. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has noted that Senegal is among just four countries in West and Central Africa that experienced a rise in new HIV infections between 2010 and 2024, making the current disruption to services particularly concerning. The new law does include a clause exempting activities carried out by authorised health organisations from prosecution, though health officials say fear on the ground has so far out weighed that legal protection.
News Ghana
