Abstract

This piece of work aims at examining the role of the national anti-AIDS committee in the sensitization and fight of HIV/AIDS. It seeks more or less to expose the functions and contributions of this committee in relation to the South West Region.

Though there exist some diseases such as malaria, the discovery of the Pathogen virus HIV/AIDS has brought about pain and suffering making it relevant for national and international organizations to exist so as to fight and make individuals aware of this dangerous disease.

Ever since, the national and AIDS committee has been providing anti-retroviral drugs, preservations, and education to guide the population in order to stay safe through the Ministry of Public health. The dependency union between these organizations is what still exists today in the health sector. The availability of such drugs and aids is what still keeps the world moving even with the presence of this pathogen and Cameroon as well.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background To The Study

AIDS IS KNOWNS AS   Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrome and it is known to be the sixth deadliest diseases in the world. In the year 2009, some 33.3 million people were living with Human Immune Virus (HIV) and 2.5 million of them were children under the ages of 13 years and about 15. I million were women. It is said that every day about 7000 persons became infected with HIV and about 5000 persons die from AIDS  mostly because of inadequate access to  their preventive care and treatment services ( Do something .org/HIV and AIDS in humans).

In Cameroon, in 2005 it was estimated that people living with HIV/AIDS from 15 years and above were 470,000 while children from 0-14 years were 43000 and also the number of deaths was 46000 (UNICEF 2006 page 164). In 2009, just 37% of pregnant women received counseling and testing and only 27% of H.V positive pregnant women and 25% of HIV exposed infants received antiretroviral (ARVs) from prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT)

The first case of HIV in the Country was documented in 1985. The fight against HIV/AIDS began in 1986 with the creation of the National AIDS Anti committee  (NAAC) and in 1987, the National Anti AIDS Programme was launched. The NAAC drafted the first HIV/AIDS national strategy in 1987 and in 1988 a short-term plan was developed.

This plan was multi-sectional. Decentralized and with emphasis on prevention and transmission by sexual contact. Thereafter the medium-term program 1 for the period 1988-1992 was drafted, a second medium–term program II for the period 1994-1996 to follow later and served as the national control plan until 1999. These plans focused on health promotion action ties through the information, education, and communication (IEC). Condom social marketing trained health care provides in handling blood transfusion and counseling which conducted surveillance epidemiology of her infection.

The short-term and medium-term plans achieved varying levels of success until 2000. The devastating effects of the HIV epidemic on humans and the socio-economic developments which threatened the Nations’ future reawakened fond the national responses to HIV/AIDS.

The fight against HIV/AIDS received political support and became one of the national priorities as highlighted in the Nations project. The national AIDS control committee (NACC) becomes the official body responsible for coordinating and managing the national AIDS control project (N ACP) throughout the national territory, in collaboration with the government, national, and information parties.

The government drafted the first National strategies to plan against AIDS for 2000-2005 which aimed at preventing new infections by promoting VCT, treating infected persons, and reducing the root of treatment promoting research. The second plan for 2006-2010 was mutti-section based and decentralized. The third plan for 2011-2015 was launched in December 2010

The South West Region is a province in Cameroon and constitutes part of the territory of Southern Cameroon. It’s capital is in Buea and has an area of 75,410km2 and a population of 1,316,079 since 2005 and a density of 50km2. The region is divided into six divisions or departments. Fako, Koupe-Manengouba, Lebialem, Manyu, Meme, Ndian. These are in turn broken down into subdivisions headed by senior divisional officers appointed by a presidential decree.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

HIV/AIDS is contracted through sexual contact with infected persons or the use of unsterilized blade when this disease has been contracted the first stage is called the primary HIV infection where symptoms are swollen glands, sore throat, rashes, headache. Without the use of Antiretroviral drugs (ARG) at this stage the disease is faced to a next stage called AIDS.

According to a UNICEF report of 2009, In Cameroon children ranging from 0-17 orphaned by AIDS were estimated at 1m200,000. With the prevalence of such disease without care, these children turn to die in at least 3years with which they must have been a nuisance to society. And when these children die eventually, the population turns to drop and making the disease spread as fast as it can because little care was put in place. With the rise of the national anti-AIDS committee, the sensitization and fight for AIDS ha decreased. Therefore there is a need to:

1. To what extend has the regional anti committee achieve its objectives of sensitizing and fighting HIV/AIDS in the South West Region
2. What are the difficulties faced by the committee in meeting its objectives
3. What strategies have been put in placed to solve these problems?

1.3 Objective Of The Study

This study work will be divided into the main and specific objectives. The main objective will be to investigate the role of the national AIDS anti-committee in sensitizing and fighting HIV/AIDS in Cameroon, whether it has been beneficial to the people of the South West Region of Cameroon. Notwithstanding the specific objectives include

1. To study the extent to which the regional anti-AIDS committee has achieved its objectives in sensitizing and fighting HIV/AIDS in the region.
2. To investigate the opinions of the people within the South West Region on their role of the national anti-AIDS Committee in sensitizing and fighting AIDS. Their ideas and reactions
3. To explore how HIV/AIDS collaborative activities have been implemented in the South West Region by the national anti-AIDS Committee highlighting constraints and the way forward in strengthening collaboration.