Cameroonian celebrate AIDS Day with focus on zero deaths

Cameroon has joined the rest of the world in commemorating the 28th edition of the World AIDS Day under the theme, "Zero new infections, Zero deaths linked to HIV/AIDS and Zero discrimination."

Commemorative activities nationwide were organised under the patronage of the First Lady Mrs Chantal Biya.

During the event the Minster of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda disclosed that ten mobile screening units will be created while the number of treatment Centres in the country will increase from 160 to 250.

On the sidelines of the official ceremony, Public Health officials, HIV/AIDS researchers and campaigners in Cameroon join thousands of persons living with the disease to raise awareness on HIV.

In schools, hospitals, markets and other public places free HIV screening exercises and educative talks were organised to raise awareness of the disease, its mode of transmission, prevention and how to live with carriers’ of the virus.

Twenty-seven years since World AIDS Day was established, the focus of the 2015 edition is "Zero deaths, Zero infections, Zero discrimination" and most people no longer see the disease as a taboo or a death sentence.

Adherence to antiretroviral continues to be on the rise especially as the Ministry of Public Health has launched a programme to automatically put newly diagnosed patients on treatment and to limit mother to child transmission.