The AIDS virus that swept across Africa claiming the lives of the equivalent of the entire combined populations of London and New York by 2007, has had a devastating impact on Cameroon, leaving 350,000 children orphaned (2021) however the prevalence, like across most of Africa is now on the wane. The National HIV Survey in Cameroon shows significant advances in the treatment of HIV and strategies to achieve epidemic control, however the survey also indicated that 3.7% of adults in Cameroon are living with HIV, representing approximately 500,000 individuals. The annual rate of new HIV infection among adults is 0.24, or 31,000 new cases per year (compare to approximately 34,800 new HIV infections occurring in the United States in 2019; Cameroon has apopulation of some 26m, the USA 328.2 million (2019)).
HIV diagnosis in Cameroon remains a challenge. Where it is identified, latest figures suggest of those diagnosed, 93.1% are receiving antiretroviral treatment and, of those on treatment, 80.1% had achieved viral load suppression. That's the good news. The not so good news is that latest surveys suggest only 55.6% of adults in Cameroon are aware of their HIV status. In children and young people the statistics are even more concerning with only 20.7% of young people living with HIV being aware of their HIV status based upon self-report and ARV-detection data. As such, most focus has been placed on education, reaching out to young people in school and youth centres.
One group that is particularly hard to educate are the street children who are out of regulated contact with society and their situation is compounded further by the number of boys in particular who are picked up off the streets and placed in prison often for many months or even years for activities such as begging or smoking, let alone stealing. They share cells and areas within the prison with older men who are often AIDS infected and catch the virus themselves when abused.
HIV diagnosis in Cameroon remains a challenge. Where it is identified, latest figures suggest of those diagnosed, 93.1% are receiving antiretroviral treatment and, of those on treatment, 80.1% had achieved viral load suppression. That's the good news. The not so good news is that latest surveys suggest only 55.6% of adults in Cameroon are aware of their HIV status. In children and young people the statistics are even more concerning with only 20.7% of young people living with HIV being aware of their HIV status based upon self-report and ARV-detection data. As such, most focus has been placed on education, reaching out to young people in school and youth centres.
