At the Soa Health District, in a periphery town near Yaounde with a population of about 3500 people, the HIV prevalence rate stands at about 5 percent. The Chief of the Soa Health District, Dr Valentine Ndikum notes that there are so many people infected with the HIV pandemic, with women more infected than men. Moreover, 65 to 75 percent of the population does not know their HIV status. With the handing over of 2,200 HIV screening kits and 720 HIV conformation test strips to the Soa Health District by African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering from L’Association Camerounaise pour L’Aide et la Solidarité (ACAMAS), yesterday, April 16, Dr Valentine Ndikum lauded the gesture which he said was timely as the HIV screening kits comes at a time when the hospital is intensifying it’s strategies against HIV/AIDS.
The Chief of Health District explained that each month at the hospital they receive five to 10 new cases of HIV infected persons. Meanwhile, other patients prefer to go to hospitals out of Soa. According to Dr Ndikum, the equipment from African Synergy Against HIV and Suffering will be distributed to all the health centres where HIV screening takes place and measures will be taken to make sure the number given to each centre is equivalent to their target group for the required period of time. “It is important for people to know if they are HIV positive or not before they can begin appropriate treatment or maintain a good behaviour in a case where the person is uninfected”, Dr Ndikum underscored.
Representing the Executive Secretary General of African Synergy Against HIV and Suffering, Alain Siegfried Moukouri highlighted the dangers of the HIV pandemic which is ravaging the world. This is why he said African First Ladies, with Cameroon’s First Lady, Chantal Biya at the helm are leaving no stone unturned to curb the pandemic.
The gifts according to the Director of L’Association Camerounaise pour L’Aide et la Solidarité (ACAMAS), Ramat Abadjida, falls within their objectives to help the population, particularly those in need especially as people are living with different illnesses and problems. While explaining that ACAMAS is a humanitarian association whose goals fall within that of African First Ladies through their association African Synergy, Ramat Abadjida said the HIV screening samples fall within international norms.
