The National AIDS Week was launched in Douala over the week end.
The Ministry of Public Health has launched the National AIDS Week in Douala amidst calls for more use of female preservatives. The week started on Friday, November 26, with the launching ceremony presided over by Secretary of State in the Ministry of Public Health, Alim Hayatou, at the Douala Salle des Fêtes d’Akwa. December 1 is the day the international community has set aside to commemorate HIV/AIDS and celebrate progress made.
The promotion of usage of preservatives for women is at the centre of activities. The objective, according to health officials, is that each woman should decide for her own health and participate in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and contribute to the reduction of new infections in Cameroon. Voluntary testing, conferences, debates and distribution of feminine and masculine preservatives are part of the activities of the national health week launched on Friday in the economic metropolis Douala. A minute of silence was observed for the memory of those who the country has lost as a result of HIV. Mr. Alim said the fight against AIDS is one that concerns everybody, emphasizing the new approach in fighting AIDS which includes prevention of new infections. The week is commemorated under the theme: “Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise”.
Three quarters of women affected by HIV/AIDS in Cameroon are between 19 and 24, three times more than the affected men of the same bracket, according a 2009 report by the Ministry of Public Health. People working to control the deadly disease in Cameroon deplored the high rate, linking it to the poor economic and socio-cultural plight. "Essential information on the methods of prevention of HIV/AIDS has not yet sufficiently reached the girls of this age bracket,” said Zambou Lucie, President SUNAID, an NGO which facilitates access to health information. The economic dependence of the girls at this age vis-à-vis their families which are not always rich is the origin of this high rate of contamination, according to the SUNAID President. The majority of their sexual partners are men who are older and have more money than the boys at their age.
From the several speeches, responsibility is called for from the older people and the young girls attention ought to be attracted to the dangers of inter-generational sexual relations, via sensitization campaigns. Multiplication of several sexual partners by these young girls is certainly the main cause of contamination. A peer educator disclosed that the young men are more motivated to know the prevention methods and ways of contamination than the young girls. Out of 35,780 young people tested voluntarily in August 2009 during the operation "Holidays without AIDS" organised since 2003 by African Synergy, 22,500 were boys and 13,280 were girls. “The fear of knowing their status explains the refusal by girls to get tested,” she continued.
