December 1 each year is commemorated as World AIDS Day which seeks to show support for people living with HIV and to draw setbacks from those who have died as a result of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome related illnesses. World AIDS Day remains relevant as it reminds people and the governments that HIV has not been defeated.
Commemorating World AIDS Day in the North West region on December 1, 2021 a walk of civil society organizations around some streets in Bamenda focused on raising awareness on the burden the disease represents especially during this context of the coronavirus. Presiding at the event proper at the NW Special Fund for Health Promotion hall at the Regional Hospital, the regional chairperson of the AIDS control committee represented by S.G Viang Mekala, insisted in his speech on the need to improve access to care and awareness. In thanking all those who have had to sensitize the masses on the need for treatment and or abstinence, Viang Mekala said the theme should serve as a wake-up call for everyone to act accordingly and continuously to stop all forms of diseases and situations that cause human suffering as well as should be an opportunity for the continuation of awareness rasing on the treatment and prevention of a disease which be said can be stopped by early testing and placement on treatment at an early stage.
The statistics of the North West region attest to that, 84% of people living with HIV knew their status while 85% of newly diagnosed people living with HIV were placed on antiretroviral drug therapy by June 2021.
"We encourage the population to know their status and if it is positive, they should accept to take the treatment of the antiretrovirus drug which is free of charge." Viang Mekala said.
The last demographic survey which was done in 2018 shows that the HIV prevalence stands at 4% down from 7.8% in 2004. The North West region which counts about 40,000 patients living with HIV/AIDS who are on treatment, Dr Tayong Gladys, the Regional Coordinator of the Technical Group for the Fight against HIV/AIDS highlighted that the challenges of taking care of such number of patients is further compounded by the ongoing crisis which has made some patients not being able to leave their homes to go for their drugs. "We have put in place strategies such as multiple months of treatment for clients who are clinically stable so that they don't come to the health facility every month and as well outreaches are done."
The region which aims to have a viral suppression of atleast 95% also faces the challenge where the children and adolescent are still at 79% as against 92% which means that "the children who are on treatment really need the improvement on the care, treatment and support which is given to them as we have been able to identify only about 60% of children. So we call on mother's living with HIV/AIDS to test all their biological children for HIV." Dr Tayong Gladys expantiated. She also exhorted everyone to play a part in the fight against the disease as she challenged women to take the lead in the fight.
During the visiting made to the exhibition stands of some NGO's, it was disclosed that sexual intercourse still maintains top position as a way of transmission and contraction of the disease which stands at 84%, mother to child transmission at 6% and through other means at 4%. Youths have been strongly advised to abstain from unprotected sex and go for test to know their HIV status which is free same too as the drugs when one is tested positive.
By Peter Tasi
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