HIV/AIDS; Ravaging Cameroonian population - Youths in Great Danger

Cameroon has a population of about 17.000, 000, people with almost 8.9%, including 43,000 children infected with HIV/AIDS. About 240.000 children have lost a parent to the pandemic. The rate of infection is increasing and this prompted the government of Cameroon to declare HIV a health emergency and HIV control a priority programme in 2005. The high rate has persisted due to: unsafe heterosexual behaviors, cultural taboos associated with the disease, mother-to-child transmission, increase in truck drivers, sex workers especially along the Chad-Cameroon pipeline, limited education/preventive measures about the disease, etc. Cameroon, harbors more than one specie of the disease (HIV 1 and 2), which is not the case with other countries.
The last result of the demographic and health survey carried out in Cameroon in January 2006 indicates that 1/3 of youths ranging from 15-24 years have already had their first sexual intercourse. In the same year 48000 cases were detected with 78.4 percent involving people between the ages of 20 and 34. With the passing of time youths interestingly indulged in premature sex with devastating consequences ranging from early pregnancy, abortion, sexually transmissible diseases and above all the deadly HIV/AIDS.
It should be noted here that the period when the risk of sexual exposure is high in the country is during holidays and especially third term because it is the moment when the youths make new acquaintances and have time to hang out, go out to nightclubs, parties and cinemas.
Little wonder why the 2006/2010 HIV/AIDS national strategic plan has brought about several initiatives aimed at re-enforcing the prevention of HIV/AIDS among the youths.
One of such initiatives is the AIDS free holiday campaign which is in its 4th edition and supported by the country’s first lady Mrs. Chantal Biya, through her humanitarian organization in collaboration with various ministerial departments and international organizations.
The country’s former minister of public health Urbain Olanguena Awono once revealed that thousand of Cameroonians are already infected with the HIV/AIDS virus and reiterated the fact that youths are the most affected group in the society. In the bit to prevent more infections the minister said his ministry would during HIV/AIDS campaigns deploy health educationists to sensitize youths on the prevention of HIV/AIDS, through educative talks.
Also disturb by the situation is the country’s minister of women empowerment and the family Susan Bomback, who have called on the youths especially girls to adopt responsible attitude by dressing decently because as she puts it provocative dressing and loose manners make girls an easy target for HIV/AIDS.
Similerly the minister of youth affairs, Adoum Garoua, has re-assured youths that the fight against HIV/AIDS is a government priority but nevertheless called on the young men and women to participate in the fight against the disease because they are responsible for their destiny.
The rate of infection is growing rapidly not withstanding all the efforts. With more than one
percent of pregnant women tested positive, Cameroon considered to be in a generalized epidemic, stands at the brink of a full-blown crisis. Total death currently stands at about 55,000 annually reducing life expectancy to 47 years. The pandemic has moved from just a health issue to a developmental one with social, political and economic dimensions. Some salient facts worth noting about the disease are that: HIV/AIDS tends to strike young adults between the ages
of 25 to 45 disproportionately. This reduces population growth and dependency ratio increases
substantially as there are few people to take care of the sick, young and elderly. Therefore the society is loosing most of its professionals - teachers, lawyers, farmers, police officers etc.
Due to the conservative nature of cultural practices in the society, it is difficult to embark on sex
education or any open discussion on preventive measures. In most places, it is a taboo to even talk about sex, safe sex or even mention or acknowledge that people have contracted the disease.
The dominant Roman Catholic Church has not helped matters with it endorsement of controversial issues like being against the use of condoms. In other words, Cameroonians view HIV/AIDS as a shameful disease. Victims are being rejected by the society. For fear of stigmatization and rejection, victims prefer not to disclose or accept their HIV status. They however prefer to consult charlatans who claim to cure the disease, who not only fail but often
worsen their clients' health by encouraging them to interrupt ARV treatment, causing them to develop resistance to future ARV medications. This situation has instead helped charlatans selling “AIDS cures” to flourish, as their places are often crowded by these patients on a daily basis. The World Bank at the initiative of the Minister of Agriculture carried out a programme. It was expected to affect the lives of 350,000 people in rural areas, UNDP and WHO have, also supported the education of health professionals to treat people living with HIV/AIDS and to treat people with STIs. The NACP, in collaboration with Coopération Française, took the initiative of opening daycare hospitals and reducing of mother-to-child transmission. These initiatives are almost present in Health outfits’ nation wide. The project, “Preventing the Sexual Transmission of
HIV/AIDS in the Armed Forces and Police of Cameroon” received a subsidy of US$ 102 000 from the SPDF, from 1997 to 1999. Furthermore, two important private sector initiatives in Cameroon are carrying out prevention activities: Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) (country’s second-largest employer after the State) – an agro-industrial business with 12,000 employees and Cameroon Aluminum Company (ALUCAM), which set up an HIV/AIDS prevention
programme in 1996, with the help of OPALS. ALUCAM also launched the atri-therapy treatment programme called TRICAM, with contributions from the Rothschild Hospital in Paris. There also exist some high-level structures in support of the national response such as National AIDS Control committee, (a multi-sect oral initiative that was set up in 1986), and Inter-Ministerial Committee. So far several people as well as civil society organizations have been trained
on HIV/AIDS - related issues. There has been a good foundation laid to combat it. Many NGOs like the Clinton Foundation have stepped in and there is a flood of resources from Organizations to facilitate and coordinate the effort. Today, there is a mobile service for voluntary counseling and testing. HIV/AIDS test now costs 500 francs CFA, in all medical establishments in the country. Above all free ARV drugs are available in all treatment centers in the country.
The government was very slow in intensifying urgent measures to combat the disease. Initially, it paid lip service and only got up from slumber when the velocity of infection and death became too rampant.

Unfortunately some patients are still derailed by charlatans, mostly Tradi-Practitioners who provide alternative medicines. Also, the rampant rate of corruption in the government has prevented the smooth functioning of anti-AIDS programme. Recently, it was widely reported that drugs donated to be distributed free ended up being sold by the officials of the Ministry of Health to a population that lives on less than a dollar a day. Also, the departure of most health workers for greener pastures abroad has not helped the fight either. Many patients become bored
hence ending their treatment prematurely.