Gov’t gets over 190 billion FCFA to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria.

The Minister of Public Health, who doubles as the Chairman of the National AIDS Control Committee during the meeting, disclosed that the Board of the Global Fund to Fight against AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has approved funding for the period 2024-2026.

He said the period will mark a transition to the three-test algorithm for the implementation of new guidelines to offer care for people living with HIV. 

He announced that the Board has allocated 289,908,532 Euros estimated at some 190,167,530,925 billion FCFA to Cameroon to tackle HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. 

He said the money will also be used to make the country’s health system more sustainable and resilient.

The budget, the health boss emphasised, was allocated based on a methodology approved by the Global Fund's board, primarily focusing on the burden of disease and income level. 

“Cameroon is classified in the lower-middle-income country category,” Dr Manaouda said.

Need to manage funds

He equally highlighted the importance of managing the funds effectively. “Funding is always a critical issue,” he said, insisting on the fact that: “No government has unlimited resources, and there are many competing demands. Therefore, it's imperative that the available funds are spent wisely and efficiently, focusing on the most critical areas, improving the living conditions of people living with HIV”.

To the minister, despite the fact that there are some successes, there are still some shortcomings in achieving the World Health Organisation, WHO's, 95-95-95 standard. 

It targets a 95% diagnosis; 95% diagnosed persons receiving treatment and 95% treatment of people with undetectable viral loads by 2025. 

Stakeholders used the meeting to assess progress made in implementing the new guidelines for the fight against HIV/AIDS, and put in place a new plan of action to better care for people living with HIV/AIDs. 

Launch of Pediatric Surge project

Speaking during the meeting, an official of the Department for the Control of Diseases, Epidemics and Pandemics at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Ketchadji gave details on the launch of the Pediatric Surge project. 

Dr Ketchadji said the project is a multi-strategic approach aimed at accelerating progress in the prevention and management of AIDS in children and adolescents. 

He told stakeholders that the indicators remain low, and that innovations are needed to eliminate HIV/AIDS among children in Cameroon by 2030.

“In adults, the curve is promising. The prevalence rate fell from 2.7 in 2018 to 2.1 in 2023,” Dr Ketchadji said.

The Permanent Secretary of the National AIDS Control Committee, Dr Fokam Joseph, on his part reviewed the recommendations of the 2023 meeting. According to him, four out of five recommendations had been implemented. 

He cited capacity-building for local structures, with community-based on the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission, PMTCT. 

Dr Fokam also talked of the involvement of sectoral bodies in the implementation of control actions to enhance field work.