The war against HIV/AIDS

The world seems to have become reticent about waging an all-out war against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Yet the pandemic continues to claim a heavy death toll worldwide. Here is how I have personally stepped up the fight at my level.

HIV/AIDS EDUCATION IN BALI AND THE REST OF US Last week, I worshipped with the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC), at the Ntanfoang-Bali Congregation in Bali Sub Division of Cameroon's North West Region, where my good friend, the Rev. Titatang Kingsley is resident pastor. He is also Secretary of the newly-created Bali Presbytery.

The presbytery comprises a total of 23 congregations, among which are those of Ntanfoang-Bali, Njenka, Gungong, Bawock, Ntaiton, Sang-Bali, the Cameroon Christian University (CCU), and CPC/Bessem.

This was the first time I was meeting him since the creation of the Bali Presbytery and his installation as its pioneer Secretary. I remarked to him how young he was to hold such a position but also added that it was God's choice and also that the young must grow.

I wondered loudly to him why despite a presence of over a century in Cameroon with Bali playing a leading role to the extent that while the Duala language used to be the official language of Presbyterian churches in the South West, and Mungaka (the Bali language) was the one used in what is today the North West Region, it was only now that the locality was being given a presbytery of its own. The pastor responded in a rather philosophical manner by saying God's time is the best. I agreed with him.

Although I had always enjoyed Rev. Titatang's church services, that of last Sunday was special because he added a new chapter to it. He installed a Committee to pilot the affairs of the pandemic HIV/AIDS within his territory.

The committee will henceforth identify, counsel and support members of the congregation who are infected or affected by HIV AIDS.

After that church service, it dawned on me that although I had written a book on HIV/AIDS awareness, I had not done enough to publicize it.

Yes, it is currently on the national book list of the Cameroonian Ministry of Secondary Education for both Anglophone and Francophone classes; it is being voluntarily used by some primary schools and the Minister of Higher Education has written authorizing me to take it into state universities and other institutions of higher learning.

Even so, I do not believe that that is enough. It appears Cameroonians do not like buying books. They prefer to use the money drinking beer. Someone once remarked that if anyone wants to hide something from Cameroonians, he/she should put it in a book and they will surely not see; but if they want Cameroonians to really see it, they should put it in a bottle of beer.

Parents would normally buy books “if they are on the book list”. Even so, the Ministry of Secondary Education has caused some confusion by impressing it upon parents that books that can be regarded as “compulsory” are only those for English Language, French Language and Mathematics, the so-called compulsory subjects.

What is worse, teachers and educational establishments are restrained from compelling students to buy the books. So buying books on a burning health issue such as HIV/AIDS has ended up by not being a priority. Yet the pandemic is killing daily, regardless of age or sex.

In a bid to make my book on HIV/AIDS more accessible to the general public, I have now made it possible for people who are interested to read it in its entirety entirely free-of-charge. But this is for now solely online and involves only the e-book edition. The standard price of the physical paper edition is still 2000 Frs. CFA, although there can be a discount in the case of bulk orders.

I am by this post launching an appeal for suggestions as to how we can make this book reach a wider audience not only in Cameroon but in the world as a whole. If we consider that the world has really and truly become a global village, then we should look at the world as our oyster, not just our individual countries.