CI-NEWS

Fight against HIV: Cameroon makes positive stride.

2019-12-03

No: 459

Fight against HIV: Cameroon makes positive stride.

The situation of the fight against HIV in the country is quite promising. As compared to Statistics from the National AIDS Committee from 2004, HIV prevalence has decreased by 50 percent. This, according to experts, indicates that there are fewer cases of mortality and new infections in the country. This is thanks to the constant intervention from the government and its partners in the Fight against HIV with research findings from the Chantal Biya International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management (CIRCB).

HIV prevalence

Epidemiological statistics show the HIV prevalence has dropped from 5.4 per cent in 2004 to currently 2.7 per cent prevalence. This indicates that the country is gradually eliminating HIV and there is hope that by 2030, the disease would have been eradicated within the national territory.

Treatment and drug resistance

As far as treatment is concerned, the government is providing antiretroviral therapy to some 300,000 patients. About 80 percent of these patients are responding positively to treatment. Experts say this is an indication that eight out of 10 HIV patients are effectively on a good antiretroviral therapy. However, data from CIRCB shows that although the overall treatment response is good, adolescents have the lowest rate of treatment response, as most do not adhere to treatment. In terms of those failing treatment and drug resistance, statistics from CIRCB show that about 80 percent of patients failing treatment fail with a resistant virus. Hence there is that risk for such a patient to transmit resistant virus to other patients in the community. These resistance viruses can render first line treatment ineffective.

Mother to child transmission of hiv

Mother to child transmission of HIV is still very high in the country. This stands at 50 per cent nationwide.

However, data from CIRCB shows that there is a decreasing rate of transmission and factors linked to mother to child transmission have been identified. Furthermore, research results from CIRCB have revealed that most of the children infected with HIV are infected with a resistance virus and this is a major problem. That is why the Ministry of Public Health has changed the first line of antiretroviral therapy so that HIV children start their treatment with an effective regiment. Worthy of note is the fact that children who start treatment with an effective regiment, end up having a normal lifespan like HIV negative children.

Research on an HIV vaccine

Information reveals that research on the HIV vaccine is a global challenge.

Reasons why efforts are being put towards a therapeutic vaccine for HIV as this might yield positive results in the future. Experts say this will bring researchers to the field of HIV functional cure as revealed by two cases of HIV cure in Berlin and the United Kingdom. That is why HIV research is moving towards the area of a functional cure. There is already the long acting antiretroviral therapy, in which a patient makes one injection once a month to keep his/her viral load.

Culled from Cameroon Tribune.

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Fight against HIV: Cameroon makes positive stride.