The North West region,
which for some years had topped the chart as far as the prevalence rate of
HIV/AIDS in Cameroon is concern, is witnessing a steady decline as far as new
cases of infection and transmission especially from mother to child is
concerned.
According to the project manager of HIV-Free
North West Project supervised by Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services
(CBCHS), Kuni Esther Bonje during a press briefing, said, “before the HIV-Free
North West Region started, the prevalence rate was stood about 8% amongst the
general population and after three years getting to four years of the project,
the trends have slump to about 6.3.”
This drop, she said is because of sensitization and the creating of
awareness that has led to many people opting for voluntary testing and taking
the necessary precaution depending on their status she also revealed that
although the general prevalence rate was 8% amongst the general population, it
was higher in pregnant women. The good news being that at moment, the
prevalence rate in pregnant women has reduced to the same level of 6.3%. She
said, this was also due to vigorous campaign and sensitization for pregnant
women to attend antenatal clinic in order to know their status and take
necessary precautions. This trends also holds the same in the transmission rate
from mother to child which has dropped from about 8% to 2%.
The international AIDS day is
celebrated, she said, to give honor to those who has passed on because of the
disease and other related complications. It is an opportunity to raise
awareness and to ensure that those who are not yet infected take precautions
and to protect their lives and those who are already infected follow
directives, take their anti retroviral drugs in order to live healthy lives without
stigma and discrimination.
To commemorate this day, the CBCHS has
planned activities within its nine coordination areas to make the day a
successful one. There will be free outreach voluntary testing and counseling in
the various coordinating areas. There would also be a grand match past to
create awareness, give health talks and in Nkwen at mile III there would be a
football match pitting the CBCHS and St Mary Clinic here in Bamenda.
This year’s World AIDS day is
commemorated under the theme, “Getting to Zero,” that is zero new infections
zero stigma and zero AIDS related deaths. The CBCHS as declared by the Manager
has been doing a lot to ensure that everybody knows his status in order to
better combat the disease. By ensuring, persuading and pushing men to accompany
their wives for ANC, and testing themselves for HIV/AIDS, accepting their
status and taking medication was a surer way of driving toward zero infection,
zero stigma and zero related deaths.
Also by ensuring a better distribution
network of the HIV/AIDs medication throughout the region and the numerous
training seminars or workshops to train stakeholders in the fight against the
pandemic, the CBCHS was obviously gearing towards “Getting to Zero.” This is
why, according to Madam kuni, the objectives of the project has been attained
to over 80% though without challenges due to rough terrain and the remoteness
of certain areas.
Madam Kuni also called on those living
with HIV/AIDS not to live in despair but with hope for there is life beyond the
pandemic. According to her, the major problem which is even more dangerous now
is self stigma. That is resigning to fate and thinking that all has been lost.
Those living with the various must overcome self stigma, live a normal live
because with option B+ many challenges have been overcome.
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