Doh James Sonkey
The 21st edition of AIDS Free Holidays was launched last August 2, 2023 at the Melen Head Office of the African Synergy against AIDS and Suffering by Public Health Minister, Dr Manaouda Malachie who doubles as the President of the Steering Committee for the fight against AIDS in the presence of the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Issa Tchiroma and representative of the Youth Affairs and Civic Education Minister, Mounouna Foutsou.
The campaign will run till August 31, 2023 under the theme like that of last year is “Drugs kill and makes us vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.”
Launched since 2003 by Cameroon First Lady, Mrs Chantal Biya, the AIDS Free Holidays is a national campaign to sensitize youths on sexually transmissible disease and HIV/AIDS carried out by peer educators during holidays.
The 600 peer educators receive gadgets with which they will carry out the nationwide campaign.
The peer educators’ spokesperson, Annabel Suewellyne Dingom said “The great woman with a big heart has been fighting against HIV/AIDS to preserve youths from contracting the disease. We are so grateful madam First Lay of Cameroon, Mrs Chantal Biya for your commitment.”
The Administrative Service Head at African Synergy against AIDS and Suffering, Yvette Mimosette Ndedi while presenting the campaign said, “According to the National Committee for the Fight Against HIV/AIDS, 9839 new cases of HIV were reported in Cameroon in 2022, among them 6,256 women, 3,414 children of less than 15 years, 1,218 young people between 15 and 19 years and 1,359 others aged between 20 and 24 years. Adolescents aged 15 to 19 years are concerned in every five new infections. Health experts say young women are twice more susceptible to contracting the HIV virus. In 2022, about 376 adolescents and 453 young people died from HIV-related causes.”
Peer educators will move from door to door, and on streets in the ten regions of Cameroon spreading the message of prevention. TV and Radio programs, accompanied by HIV voluntary counseling and testing are also part of the campaign that has as slogan, “The further you stay away from drugs, the safer you are from STIs/HIV.” Apart from giving out lessons on HIV/AIDS, the peer educators are expected to discourage their peers from consuming drugs.
This is why the National Strategic Plan for the Fight against HIV /AIDS has identified young girls and boys aged 15-24 as the target group of persons for sensitization.
The Public Health Minister, Dr Manaouda Malachie said “though Cameroon has reduced the prevalence rate of patients by 60%, much is still to be done to keep the younger generation stronger and safe.”
The Public Health boss concluded that “Drug consumption is a factor of transmission of HIV/AIDS.”
Figures from the National Anti-Drug Control Committee show that 25% of Cameroonians have tried a hard drug, 10% of them are regular users and 60% are young people aged between 20 and 25 years. Drug consumption and HIV/AIDS are two congratulations public health issues that Adolescents who use drugs are known to make risky sexual decisions which range from unprotected sex, having sex with formers whose HIV status they do not know. Some of them inject drugs and sometimes share syringes with other users thereby increasing chances of transmission of the HIV virus.