At closure/launch of HIV-free project: NW health authorities say disease to reach epidemic control by 2030.

The information was disclosed Wednesday October 9 in Bamenda. This was during the official ceremony to close the first phase of the project, which ran from 2019 to 2024. The second phase of the project was equally launched. It will end in 2030.

Present during the double ceremony was Professor Tih Pius, Principal Investigator of the HIV-free project in zone 1; the North West Regional Delegate of Public Health, Dr Kingsley Che; the Technical Director of the HIV-free project, Kum Walters; the Director of the CBCHS, Samuel Ngum and representatives from various health districts in the region.

The HIV-free project in zone 1, made up of the North West, South West and West regions, is being implemented by the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board, CBCHB. 

The project was awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.

HIV-free project objectives 

The project aims to expand access to comprehensive, high quality and sustainable HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment services to meet UNAIADS treatment targets of 95-95-95 by 2030.

The three 95s of the project ensures that 95% of the population living with HIV know their status, 95% of those living with HIV who know their status are put on anti- retroviral therapy, and 95% of those who are on treatment get viral load suppression.

"The purpose of it is to see that we reach epidemic control by 2030. We are calling on every stakeholder to participate so that the North West Region will reach epidemic control at the end of the project... The targets are attainable. I believe that by even 2029, we should have achieved or get very close to the targets because the population is committed…by 2030, I am sure that we shall reach epidemic control in the region," Prof Tih Pius said.

Stakeholders, population to get involve 

On his part, the North West Regional Delegate of Public Health, Dr Kingsley Che, called on his collaborators, stakeholders and the population of the region to support the CBCHB to attain the objects by 2030.

He saluted the new designs put in place in the new phase of the project, which to him will go a long way to strengthen and boost the results.

Amongst some of the key innovations that the Regional Delegate noted was the issue of capacity building of staff at district levels, which to him, will facilitate in attaining the objectives of the project.

HIV/AIDS key statistics 

Key results presented during the occasion reveal that from 2019 to 2024, a total of 1,291,762 individuals were tested, 38,469 diagnosed with HIV, and a total of 37,602 individuals diagnosed with HIV were placed on anti-retroviral therapy.

These resulted to a total of 103,539 persons receiving anti-retroviral therapy in zone 1 by the end of the project cycle, representing 98% of the target of year 5.

The North West Regional Delegate of Public Health revealed that about 43,000 persons are HIV positive in the region. He added that as the project continues, there is hope of reducing the cases, and transmission in the various communities.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3256 of Friday October 11, 2024