HIV/AIDS in Cameroon

The last population-based survey on HIV prevalence was the Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey 2004 (DHS 2004). The survey found HIV prevalence of 5.5% in the general population aged 15-49. HIV prevalence in young women aged 15-24 (4.8%) was significantly higher than in men (1.4%) of the same age group.

According to national estimates [1], the total estimated number of people living with HIV in Cameroon was about 540,000 in 2008, including around 45,000 children. Among adults (15+ years old), approximately 180,000 were estimated in need of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in 2008 [2], while only 46,000 (25%) received treatment. Currently, there are only about 100 ART sites in the country, with geographic access substantially lower in the northern regions compared with the southern regions, and urban zones with higher coverage than rural zones.

Concerning mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), only 22% of HIV-positive pregnant women received a prophylaxis regimen in 2008. It is estimated that 19% of infants born to HIV positive mothers are HIV infected when tested at 15 months. These low coverage rates may be explained by the low access to PMTCT services: less than 50% of health facilities offer PMTCT services. The Government of Cameroon implemented a PMTCT scaling-up program in 2007 with a goal to establish PMTCT services in 80% of health facilities in targeted health districts, while increasing awareness-raising campaigns on the importance of PMTCT uptake in the targeted zones.

According to the 2008 Cameroon UNGASS Country Progress Report, there are approximately 300,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Cameroon between the ages of 0 and 17. In response, the Government of Cameroon established a National Program for Support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children, financed by Global Fund with technical assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs, with the goal to increase the number of OVC and their families receiving external support.

[1] 2008 Cameroon HIV Epidemic Fact Sheet. www.unaids.org
[2] This estimation is based on initiation of treatment at CD4 <200.

It is statistics like these as well as experience living and working in Cameroon that sparked the creation of EFA International.

How does education fight AIDS in Cameroon?

Our organization serves the youth of Cameroon that are both living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. We seek to empower these individuals through the promotion of education, positive life skills, and leadership so they become strong, influential members fighting for social change in their communities.

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