Question
I am HIV positive, can I work in Angola?
20 May 2010. Related: Access to treatment, All topics, Starting treatment, Travel.
Hello,
I’m a 29 year-old Lebanese male. I have been HIV positive for almost two years but am not yet on HIV Anti-retroviral therapy.
I have an opportunity to work in Angola but I am very worried they may require a HIV test for work permit and that they will deport me if they know about my health status.
In the case that there are no restrictions for living in Angola if HIV positive, can I access HIV medications when I need them?
I really appreciate your service. Thank you very much.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
If you are to enter Angola on a visitor’s visa, a medical report is not required. However, if you are to apply for a working visa a copy of your medical records is required. A HIV test will not be done upon entry but may show on your medical records. If you are found to be HIV positive then it is possible that you may be refused a working visa although it is not 100% clear and the embassy were not able to clarify this.
If you decide to try for a working visa then in addition to your medical records, you will need to produce a full vaccination certificate which includes yellow fever vaccination.
When you reach Angola there are few medical institutions offering treatment for HIV. There are currently only 8,000 people accessing treatment. It is estimated that 125,000 people require treatment. At present the only health centres offering HIV medications are government-run. Private hospitals do not appear to offer HIV treatment.
The first line treatment offered in Angloa is zidovudine (AZT) with lamivudine (3TC) and nevirapine (Viramune). This is a fairly standard first line treatments offered in sub-Saharan countries.
For more information on the HIV services available in Angola with regards to treatment please follow this link
For more information about starting treatment please follow this link to the i-Base ‘Introduction to Combination Therapy’ guide and more specifically to the section on starting treatment.
Hi Esther,
This is great, thank you! Perhaps you could start by asking at your clinic? They might be able to connect you to organisations that work in Kenya and also around the world.
Best wishes, Roy
Am from Kenya 39 years HIV positive would like to help people living with HIV in our country and outside the county.Am a very strong lady and willing to work anywhere
Hi Tarek,
A friend of mine got a job offer for Angola but she is HIV +.
She is very worried because the work permit application required a HIV test result. Did you manage to get your work permit?
Thank you very much Charlotte..I will keep on touch :)
Hello,
It is great that you are still wanting to go to Angola. It is safe to have the yellow fever vaccination and it is much better to have the vaccination than to get yellow fever. Please see a more detailed response by following the link to this similar question and also reading the comments at the bottom.
Your CD4 count will not decrease if you get a vaccination.
You will need a lot of vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis to go to Angola. For more information about what you need please follow this link
I wish you a safe journey!
Hello again
I checked with my doctor if I can go to Angola. He said ok after I got my results back and my CD4 count was 500 on 23-06-2010. He said that I still have time before I need to start medication but he wasnt sure if is it safe to have the yellow fever vaccination or not. Will my CD4 count decrease if I take the vaccination? Do I need other vaccinations for Angola?
Thank you very much