Eight mentors trained for three months at the Bamenda Regional Hospital’s Paediatric Centre of Excellence have been certified and sent out to close the gap while playing a crucial role in the fight against Pediatric HIV in the region and beyond. The event on February 20, 2025, held at the hospital’s multipurpose hall in the presence of prominent stakeholders such as the NW Regional Delegate of Public Health, Dr. Ambe Lionel, Regional Hospital Director, Dr. Nsame Denis, Coordinator of the HIV Regional Technical Group for the fight against HIV, Dr. Bereynuy Jude and the Technical Director of the HIV Free Project, Dr. Kum Walters and the HIV Free Project Manager, Mrs. Ijang Noela.
Prof. Tih Pius Muffih, Principal Investigator of the HIV Free Project, during the event, emphasized the importance of prevention and case identification in pediatric HIV care. “In Paediatric HIV Care, prevention is paramount, and case identification is the way to go,” he stated. He urged the mentors to excel and serve as an example to other centers, stressing the need to put their training into practice.
“Funders will come and go, but we will remain here. Take advantage of what is there now, let’s make the best of the remaining four yours to reach epidemic control,” Prof. Tih added. He also expressed appreciation to stakeholders for their collaboration.
Dr. Tene, one of the main facilitators outlined the mentor selection process and summarized the practical training’s impact on supporting pediatric HIV care and treatment in the region. Through the training, participants had to go through various units including the ANC, Labour room, IWC, OPD, nutritionist centre, and treatment room among other units.
In total, 18 participants took part in the training and 8 of them were certified as mentors of the pediatric centre of excellence. It is important to note that all trained mentors are staff of the Ministry of Public Health in the region to ensure continuity at all times.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Madam Ngwafo Joan expressed gratitude for the “Dream come true” certification. She acknowledged the challenges of balancing the training with their regular duties and thanked all stakeholders for their support. Dr. Ambe Lionel N, Regional Delegate of Public Health in his concluding words, urged the certified mentors to demonstrate their competence and ensure that the Centre of Excellence maintains high standards. He emphasized the importance of achieving the three 95s related to HIV care and called on the Hospital Director to oversee the mentors’ work, ensuring proper documentation and implementation of strategies. Dr. Ambe clinched by thanking the CBC HIV-Free Project for the initiative.
