Bamenda, NW region:

Population-based HIV impact assessment launched

By Francis Nzante in B’da

NW Secretary General in Keynote address

The Cameroon population-based HIV Impact Assessment, CAMPHIA has been launched in Bamenda. This took place on Thursday 17 August 2017 at the Bamenda Regional Hospital, under the auspices of the Governor of the North West Region represented at the event by Harry Lanyuy, Secretary General at the NW Governor’s Office.

                Speaking on behalf of Governor Adolfe Lele L’Afrique the Secretary General said the fight against HIV AIDS was of top priority in Government Policy. Latest data which dates way back in 2011 was becoming out dated and needed updating he said adding that this was indispensable for the regulation of policy at the Ministry of Public Health.

                Harry Lanyuy further said that the initiative was being carried out by the National Institute of Statistics and the Ministry of Public Health. Results of the survey he said would help to ascertain progress made and reference indicators. The Secretary General said by 2020, 90% of people living with HIV should have known their status.

                The North West Regional Delegate of Public Health, Dr. Matilda Manjo, stated that the Regional launch of CAMPHIA was geared towards filling information gaps that were needed to help policy on HIV. She said it would help direct resources to effectively fight the spread of HIV.

                She said the Community Mobilisation network put in place will help boost participation. Sample collectors she said will link up with activated treatment centers to ensure that effective care is taken of infected cases. She said for this to succeed the support of all competent authorities and collaboration of the population was needed. 

                Fotue Sebastien, the Regional Coordinator of the National Institute of Statistics for the North West Region said with the regional launch of this assessment program teams would be immediately sent into the field.. He said before teams actively go to work, advance groups will carry out sensitization programs in the field to prepare the population for the exercise ahead. The teams he said were made up of well trained lab technicians and other personnel equipped with all the tools necessary for the task ahead. Blood samples collected will be tested of HIV and then subsequently tested for other secondary infections in chosen laboratories he explained.