National Policy

A multisectoral approach is being developed under the leadership of the Minister of Health, who is also the Chair of the National AIDS Commission. Sectoral plans are in development. The current challenges in the country are: the implementation of the National Strategic Plan, improvement of absorption capacity, and finalisation of the sectoral plans.

Ministry of Public Health
Yaounde, Cameroon
Tel: +237 222 2901

Programme Nationale de Lutte contre le SIDA:
Contact person: Dr Léopold Zekeng
B.P. 13810, Yaoundé
Tel: +237 222 5758
Fax: +237 223 1653 / 222 4419

HIV/AIDS Organisations:

1. Sun Shine - Cameroon Network
   Contact person: Marie Mendene
   B.P. 12490, Douala
   Tel: +237 993 4302
   Fax: +237 343 2917
   Email:
   · HIV/AIDS education and awareness campaigns; support group services.

2. AFSU - (Association des freres et soeurs unis)
   Contact person: Mr Antoine Fofou
   P.O. Box 25057, Yaounde
   Tel: +237 955 0094 / 991 4674
   Fax: +237 222 6258
   Email:
   · Home-based care; hospital visits; counselling; PWA care.

3. AFASO - (Association des Femmes Actives et Solidaires)
   Contact person: Pauline Mounton
   B.P. 30645, Yaounde
   Tel: +237 986 7256 / 764 3263
   · Counselling; orphan-care; nutritional and medical support for PWAs.

4. Hope Group
   Contact person: Gladys Njoben
   Tel: +237 348 1262 / 348 1490
   · Association of people living with HIV/AIDS.

5. Unique Sisters
   Contact person: Elizebert Nkety / Deborah Elangwe
   P.O. Box 823 Limbe, S.W Province
   Tel: +237 952 2829
   · Support for HIV-positive women, information and education campaigns.

6. Society for Women and AIDS in Africa - Cameroon
   Contact person: Magdalene Wango
   P.O. Box 14050, Yaounde
   Tel: +237 234 040
   Email:
   · Pre and post-test counselling; home and hospital visits; medical care; advocacy; awareness raising.

7. Association of Positive Women - APOWA Cameroon
   Contact person: Linda Akere Njinda
   P.O. Box 619, Douala Littoral Province, Cameroon
   Tel: +237 987 3405
   Fax: +237 434 176
   Email:
   · Capacity building for HIV-positive women, information and education on living positively.

8. UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS, Chair
   Contact person: Madani Tall
   World Bank Representative
   B.P. 1128, Yaounde
   Tel: +237 220 3815 / 221 0836 / 220 3157
   Fax: +237 221 0722
   Email:

9. UNAIDS Country Coordinator
   Contact person: Dr Emmanuel Gnaore
   B.P. 12909, Yaounde
   Tel: +237 222 3036
   Mobile: +237 771 3761
   Fax: +237 222 3038
   Email:

10. Cameroon Link - Human Assistance Programme
    Contact person: James Achanyi-Fontem
    P.O. Box 1460, Douala Littoral Province
    Tel: +237 339 1356 / 775 8840
    Fax: +237 339 1356
    Email:
    · Training; counselling; fund raising; communication; material support; newsletter. Serves as an umbrella organisation coordinating eight local community HIV/AIDS initiative Councils in Bonaberi neighbourhood of Douala.

For consistency reasons the data used in the above table are taken from official UN publications

For consistency reasons the data used in the above table are taken from official UN publications

Source: WHO/UNAIDS epidemiological fact sheets on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2004 Update.
Email:

Assessment of the epidemiological situation (2004)

HIV sentinel surveillance among women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinics was established in 1989. Between 1996-1999, sites were not used consistently, but sentinel surveillance among ANC women was reinforced in 2000 with 27 ANC sites covering all ten provinces. Data on HIV prevalence among the general population of people aged 15-49 years and sex workers were also collected in Yaoundé in 1997/1998 in the context of a four-city UNAIDS study.

In 2000, HIV prevalence among ANC attendees in 28 sites was 10.8%; HIV prevalence in Yaoundè was 11.2%.. The median HIV prevalence among young women aged 15-24 years was 11.9%, ranging from 7.5% in Littoral province to 19.6% in Adamawa province. Among women aged 15-19 years, the median HIV prevalence was 11.5%, ranging from 2.8% in Littoral province to 21.9% in Adamawa province.

In the Yaoundé study, women were more likely to be infected with HIV than men; HIV prevalence rates were 7.8% among women and 4.1% among men. HIV prevalence rates were much higher among young women than among men of the same age (3.4% and 0.0% for women and men aged 15-19 years respectively, and 9.3% and 1.4% among women and men aged 20-24 years respectively). HIV prevalence among sex workers tested in Yaoundè increased from 5.6% in 1990 to 45.3% in 1993 and declined to 34% in 1997/1998.