The Minister of Health, Andre Mama Fouda has chaired the first statutory meeting of the National AIDS Control Committee.
The meeting held in Yaoundé on 29th May, marked the end of the 2014-2017 AIDS Control Season and the launch of another three year campaign, 2018-2022.
In discussing the 2018-2022 national strategic plan for AIDS control, the assembly took a retrospective look at the last season and noted with satisfaction that much was achieved.
During the 2014-2017 AIDS control season.
1) The HIV/ AIDS prevelence rate in persons between the ages of 15-49 years dropped from 4.3% to 3.4%.
2) The HIV/ AIDS prevalence rate among commercial s*e*x workers also dropped from 39% in 2014 to 24% in 2017.
3) A total of 254,000 patients were put on antiretrovirals.
4) Over five million persons were screened for the disease within the period from 2014-2017.
The National Strategic Plan for 2018-2022
In spite of the strides made during the last season, the Ministry is presently faced with the challenge of disbursing close to CFA.412 billion to finance all activities identified in the 2018-2022 AIDS control season.
During this season that begins, stakeholders are committed to scale up the 90- 90 -90 % world policy on HIV/AIDS and ultimately eliminate the disease by 2030.
Other objectives of the 2018-2022 season include:
1) To reduce HIV/AIDS related deaths
2) To reduce new infections by 60%
3) To improve the lifestyle of infected persons by 50%
4) To obtain a 50% increase in the national response to the fight against HIV/AIDS
5) To carry HIV/AIDS activities to more health centers.
The Minister of Public Health, during the meeting, called on participants to make individual and collective contributions in realising the ambitious project on HIV/AIDS control.
Kathy Neba Sina
