CAMPHIA 2024–2025
Cameroon Population-based HIV Impact Assessment
"Your Action Matters! Ending HIV Together"
(Adults 15+)
(95% CI: 5,000–37,000)
(Adults Living with HIV)
About CAMPHIA 2024–2025
The Cameroon Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (CAMPHIA 2024-2025) was a household-based national survey among adults (defined as those aged 15 years and older) to measure the impact of the national HIV response. Conducted from September 2024 through January 2025, CAMPHIA 2024-2025 offered HIV counseling and testing with return of results and collected information about uptake of HIV care and treatment services.
Like CAMPHIA 2017-2018, CAMPHIA 2024-2025 estimated national HIV incidence and national and regional HIV prevalence among adults, as well as national and regional prevalence of viral load suppression (VLS)Viral Load Suppression (VLS): defined as HIV RNA <1,000 copies per milliliter (mL) among adults living with HIV, defined as HIV RNA <1,000 copies per milliliter (mL) among adults living with HIV.
The results of these surveys also provide information on national and regional progress toward HIV epidemic control in Cameroon, including progress towards achieving the global and national 95-95-95 targets95% of PLHIV know their status; 95% of those diagnosed are on ART; 95% of those on ART are virally suppressed.
CAMPHIA 2024-2025 was led by the Government of the Republic of Cameroon, primarily through the Ministry of Public Health and the National Institute of Statistics (NISNational Institute of Statistics of Cameroon). The survey was conducted with funding from the United States (US) President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFARUS President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) and through technical assistance and partnership with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCUS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
– Jan 2025Field Period
Implementation Partners
- Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board
- National Institute of Statistics (NIS)
- ICAP at Columbia University
- Division of Health Operational Research
- National AIDS Control Committee
- National Public Health Laboratory
- Department of Disease, Epidemics and Pandemics Control
- Department of Pharmacy, Medicines and Laboratory
- Research Center on Emerging & Re-emerging Diseases
- Chantal Biya International Reference Centre for Research on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Management
- District, regional, and referral hospitals
- Local government authorities
- Government of Cameroon, local civil society organizations, and international development partners (steering committee & technical working groups)
Key Findings
National HIV indicators among adults in Cameroon from CAMPHIA 2024-2025, stratified by sex and age group.
| HIV Indicator | Women | 95% CI | Men | 95% CI | Total | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Incidence (%) | ||||||
| 15–49 years | 0.24 | 0.04–0.43 | 0.06 | 0.00–0.15 | 0.15 | 0.04–0.27 |
| 15 years and older | 0.20 | 0.03–0.37 | 0.06 | 0.00–0.14 | 0.13 | 0.03–0.23 |
| Prevalence (%) | ||||||
| 15–49 years | 3.6 | 3.1–4.1 | 1.6 | 1.3–2.0 | 2.6 | 2.3–3.0 |
| 15 years and older | 4.0 | 3.5–4.5 | 2.0 | 1.7–2.3 | 3.0 | 2.7–3.4 |
| Viral Load Suppression (%) | ||||||
| 15–49 years | 67.6 | 62.3–72.9 | 62.7 | 53.6–71.8 | 66.1 | 61.2–71.1 |
| 15 years and older | 72.0 | 67.9–76.0 | 72.0 | 64.9–79.1 | 72.0 | 68.0–75.9 |
Annual incidence of HIV among adults aged 15-49 years was 0.15%: 0.24% among women and 0.06% among men. Annual incidence of HIV among adults aged 15 years and older in Cameroon was 0.13%, which corresponds to approximately 21,000 (95% CI: 5,000–37,000) new cases of HIV per year among adults.
Prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15-49 years in Cameroon was 2.6% and was higher among women, at 3.6%, than men, at 1.6%. HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 years and older in Cameroon was 3.0%, which corresponds to approximately 501,000 (95% CI: 444,000–558,000) adults living with HIV.
The prevalence of VLS among adults aged 15 years and older living with HIV in Cameroon was 72.0%: 72.0% among women and 72.0% among men. Note: These estimates of VLS are among all adults living with HIV regardless of their knowledge of HIV status or use of antiretroviral therapy (ART)Antiretroviral Therapy: treatment for HIV using a combination of medicines to suppress the virus.
HIV Prevalence by Age and Sex
HIV Prevalence (%) by Age Group and Sex — Adults Aged 15 Years and Older
Among adults aged 15 years and older, HIV prevalence ranged from 0.6% among adolescent girls aged 15–19 years to 8.3% among women aged 50–54 years, and from 0.3% among adolescent boys aged 15–19 years to 5.1% among men aged 50–54 years. HIV prevalence was markedly higher among women than men in each 5-year age group from 20–24 years through 35–39 years.
Values shown are point estimates from the summary sheet. The source report displays 95% confidence-interval error bars on this chart, but the underlying CI values for each age/sex bar are not published in the summary sheet text, so they are not fabricated here. Ages (years) on x-axis. HIV Prevalence (%) on y-axis.
HIV Prevalence by Region
Among adults aged 15–49 years, HIV prevalence ranged from 1.4% in Far North to 4.6% in Centre (excluding Yaoundé). Seven of the 12 survey regions—Adamawa, Centre (excluding Yaoundé), East, Littoral (excluding Douala), North West, South, and South West—had HIV prevalence point estimates above the national point estimate of 2.6% among adults aged 15–49 years.
HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 years and older ranged from 1.5% in Far North to 5.6% in North West. Seven of the 12 survey regions had HIV prevalence point estimates above the national point estimate of 3.0% among adults aged 15 years and older.
| Region | 15–49 yrs (%) | 95% CI | 15+ yrs (%) | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | ||||
| Cameroon | 2.6 | 2.3–3.0 | 3.0 | 2.7–3.4 |
| Survey Regions | ||||
| Adamawa | 3.9 | 2.9–4.8 | 4.2 | 3.3–5.1 |
| Centre (Excl. Yaoundé) | 4.6 | 3.5–5.8 | 5.3 | 4.2–6.3 |
| Douala | 2.2 | 1.6–2.8 | 2.6 | 2.0–3.2 |
| East | 3.8 | 2.0–5.7 | 4.0 | 2.4–5.7 |
| Far North | 1.4 | 0.8–2.1 | 1.5 | 0.8–2.2 |
| Littoral (Excl. Douala) | 3.3 | 2.2–4.5 | 3.6 | 2.9–4.2 |
| North | 1.5 | 0.5–2.4 | 1.6 | 0.8–2.5 |
| North West | 4.1 | 1.5–6.7 | 5.6 | 3.1–8.0 |
| South | 4.4 | 3.1–5.8 | 4.8 | 3.5–6.1 |
| South West | 3.0 | 2.2–3.7 | 3.7 | 2.9–4.4 |
| West | 1.8 | 0.8–2.9 | 2.3 | 1.3–3.4 |
| Yaoundé | 2.4 | 1.8–2.9 | 3.0 | 2.4–3.5 |
HIV Prevalence (15+ Years) — Visual Comparison
Orange bars indicate regions above the national estimate of 3.0%
Note: This map reports HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 years and older. The vertical line at 50% of bar width represents the national estimate of 3.0%.
Achievement of the 95-95-95 Targets
95-95-95: Treatment Targets to Help End the HIV Epidemic
The global and national targets for 2025 aim for 95% of all people living with HIV to know their HIV status; 95% of all people diagnosed with HIV to receive sustained ART; and 95% of all people receiving ART to achieve viral load suppression (VLS). Note: CAMPHIA 2024-2025 used viral load adjustment to calculate the 95-95-95 estimates. Individuals were classified as aware of HIV-positive status if they self-reported or had a viral load below 200 copies/mL.
Percentages shown refer to the conditional 95-95-95 targets. For the conditional 95-95-95, the denominator for the second and third 95 is the value of the preceding 95 estimate. The heights of the bars represent the unconditional (overall) percentages for each indicator among all adults living with HIV. Error bars represent 95% CIs. Based on self-report and a viral load measurement below 200 copies/mL.
In contrast to other PHIAs, CAMPHIA 2024-2025 used viral load adjustment to calculate the 95-95-95 estimates. CAMPHIA 2024-2025 used self-report combined with a viral load measurement <200 copies/mL to determine awareness of HIV status and treatment coverage for the 95-95-95 estimates — an approach that a prior study (Young et al., 2020; doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000002453) suggests may serve as an alternative method. Interpretation of the 95-95-95 estimates should therefore take this methodological consideration into account.
Response Rates, HIV Testing Methods, and Viral Load Adjustment
Among 29,029 eligible adults (15,462 women and 13,567 men), 25,083 (13,498 women and 11,585 men)—or 86.4% of those eligible—were interviewed and tested for HIV. The overall response rate was 76.2%: 77.0% for women and 75.3% for men.
Conclusions
National HIV incidence among adults aged 15–49 years was 0.15%. There were approximately 21,000 (95% CI: 5,000–37,000) new HIV infections annually among adults aged 15 years and older. Nearly three out of every four new infections occurred among women, highlighting the continued need to reduce new HIV infections among women and adolescent girls.
National HIV prevalence among adults aged 15–49 years was 2.6%. There were an estimated 501,000 (95% CI: 444,000–558,000) adults aged 15 years and older living with HIV.
Cameroon achieved the second of the global and national 95-95-95 targets—treatment coverage among those diagnosed—and the third target, VLS among those on treatment. (In contrast to other PHIAs, CAMPHIA 2024-2025 used viral load adjustment to calculate the 95-95-95 estimates.) However, awareness of HIV-positive status remained below the first 95 target, limiting overall progress toward HIV epidemic control. This, in turn, calls for more intensified efforts on HIV case finding within communities in Cameroon.
Prevalence of VLS among all adults living with HIV varied widely across regions, indicating differences in population-level viral suppression and potential variation in HIV transmission risk.
HIV remains a substantial public health challenge in Cameroon. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of early HIV diagnosis among both men and women to reduce transmission and support treatment outcomes among adults living with HIV in Cameroon. These efforts would help the Cameroon government in fast-tracking progress toward HIV epidemic control and elimination.
CAMPHIA 2024-2025 Summary Sheet
The Cameroon Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (CAMPHIA 2024-2025) Key Findings Summary Sheet presents national and regional HIV prevalence, incidence, viral load suppression, and progress toward the 95-95-95 targets among adults in Cameroon. Conducted from September 2024 through January 2025. See phia.icap.columbia.edu for more details.