More than half the Gabonese population lives in its capital, Libreville. The rate of infected people here has risen from 4.3 percent to 6.8 percent. In 1998 the rate was only 1.8 percent. There are now three times as many carriers of the virus as there were two years ago. A true statistical picture indicating the scope of Gabon's AIDS epidemic was only belatedly made available.
Public opinion pins the blame squarely on the government.
People here think the problem was intentionally ignored and that the government refused to take appropriate steps to counteract it. Health spending accounted for 54.4 percent of the country's budget in 1990, 60.5 percent in 1995, 57.7 percent in 1997, and almost 61 percent in 2000. But there has been no improvement in the Gabonese health system's delivery of services. The centre will treat people who are HIV positive. If used efficiently, it could provide great hope for infected people who would otherwise be resigned to a sorry fate.