northwest tops hiv/aids chart

By Walter Wilson Nana & Joe Dinga Pefok (The Post, Buea)

November 6, 2005: The Northwest, East and Southwest Provinces are topping the chart of HIV/AIDS prevalence in Cameroon. According to a 2004 seropositive prevalence statistics, the Northwest Province comes first with 8.7 percent, East 8.6 percent and Southwest 8 percent.Dr. Fritz Ntone Ntone, Director, Laquintinie Hospital, Douala made these statistics available, Friday, November 4, during a second training workshop for communication professionals on how to cater for people living with HIV/AIDS.

The workshop, which took place at the conference hall of the Laquintinie Hospital, was organised by doctors interested in the fight against AIDS, group under Douala Anti-Retro-Viral, DARVIR, with Dr. Ntone as President. MTN Foundation sponsored the workshop.

Talking on the Generalities About HIV/AIDS, Epidemiological and the National Policy on the Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Ntone said the least seropositive prevalent Provinces are; Far North with 2 percent and West 4 percent, according to the 2004 statistics.

The Laquintinie boss said the government of Cameroon has created treatment centres in the country, thanks to the cooperation of some international bodies. "Ten treatment centres for HIV/AIDS victims are in the Littoral Province, with Laquintinie Hospital being one of them," he said.

Dr. Ntone told the communication professionals, that the national directives on the fight against HIV/AIDS, is that the language, message, objectives should be the same.

He said the Initiative 3by5 by the World Health Organisation, WHO, to meet three million patients by 2005, is on course.

"In Cameroon, it is to meet 30,000 patients by 2005. So far, we have met 18,000. Government action now, is to intensify the fight through training, personnel and getting new equipment," Ntone said.

He said he was inviting everybody, to be part of the fight. "There are challenges of decentralisation," he said.
Dr. Ntone explained the various consultation steps, tests and medical fees which go with the treatment of HIV/AIDS. "A yearly cost of HIV/AIDS patient in Laquintinie Hospital is FCFA 119,500. For corporate patients on convention with Laquintinie Hospital, it is FCFA 128,000 a year," he stated.

He said conventions have been signed with corporate bodies in the metropolis of Douala for their workers infected with HIV/AIDS to carry out regular check-ups and treatment at the HIV/AIDS Centre in the Laquintinie Hospital.

Dr. Ntone advised that the treatment for HIV/AIDS would be cheaper, if it were diagnosed early. "Avoid getting to the level of typhoid, malaria and more," he warned.

Dr. Pulcherie Dissi Siewe said 90 percent of the transmission of HIV/AIDS is via sex. "It is either heterosexual or homosexual; 10 percent through blood and mother to child transmission. These happen through blood transfusion, traditional practices, pregnancy and breastfeeding," she explained.

Dr. Siewe said the preventive methods of HIV/AIDS remain; Condoms, Abstinence and Fidelity. "Fidelity should be mutual-feminine and masculine," she said.

Yves Monti, State Registered Nurse at Laquintinie Hospital said opportunistic infections take advantage of the breakdown of the human system during HIV/AIDS to get themselves installed.

Monti said opportunistic infections could be checked through clinical diagnosis and curative treatment.

Opportunistic infections develop in persons with HIV/AIDS after their systems would have been seriously ruined.

Dr. Madeleine Mbangue, talked on the various ways of catering for persons with HIV/AIDS. She highlighted the informal and formal methods. These include, social, counselling, psychological, educational, spiritual, community, judicial, supportive and therapeutic methods.

She added: "It is not only a medical problem. Other sectors are involved and must come in, to cater for persons with HIV/AIDS."

Dr. Mbangue advised that people with HIV/AIDS should be placed on good, quality and enriched nutritional composition. "They must enjoy all their human rights and must be open for religious advice," she said.

Dr. Berthe Bollo, Gynaecologist, Laquintinie Hospital, schooled reporters on their role(s) in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
"Journalism is a force to reckon with, everywhere in the world. That is why the Cameroon government's approach is multi-sectoral in the fight against HIV/AIDS," she said.

The Gynaecologist appealed to journalists to go for information. "The media/journalists have to be exact, correct, clear in their information on HIV/AIDS and anti retroviral drugs," she said.

Dr. Bollo told reporters to specialise in health reporting. "You can't talk about HIV/AIDS if you don't have detailed information. Journalists have the duty to indicate to the public where to go to for treatment. You have to explain government action on the fight against HIV/AIDS," she requested.

She pleaded with reporters to fight against misinformation, deceitful publicity and propaganda.