A 5-day comprehensive training of Health Care Providers from some 37 sites on the Global Management of HIV has taken place in Bamenda, Northwest Region of Cameroon. The training at the Northwest Regional Fund for Health Promotion, had representatives from all treatment sites in the region involved in the HIV response. These included Coordinators of HIV Treatment Centers, Unit Heads of HIV Treatment Units, and site Leads. The training from April 8-12, 2025 equipped healthcare professionals with knowledge and skills to effectively manage HIV cases.

The primary objectives were to build the capacities of Service Providers on the guidelines on HIV Global Management in Cameroon, the management of HIV advanced disease, accountability in the implementation of activities in HIV Care and Treatment, and to review the updated tools for the documentation of data in HIV clinical cascade, following new guidelines adopted in 2024. The training also focused on specialized care for children living with HIV, cohort monitoring, and best practices for healthcare professionals.

It is thanks to the generosity of the American people through PEPFAR that the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Health Services organized the training. The training took place under the distinguished patronage of the Northwest Regional Delegate of Health, Dr. Ambe Lionel. In his address, the delegate buttressed its timely importance to ensure the effective provision of holistic care to Persons Living with HIV, as well as looking at strategies to sustain treatment at all facility levels when funding eventually fades out.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to combat HIV in Cameroon, where an estimated 480,232 people were living with HIV in 2022. The country has made progress in reducing new infections and increasing access to treatment, with a 50% decrease in HIV prevalence among people aged 15-64 over the past 14 years.

According to the Project Manager of the HIV-Free Project of the CBC Health Services, the refresher was vital following a previous one that took place in 2019 and many changes have taken place in the care of HIV patients.  The HIV Free Project is implemented in 17 Health Districts in the Northwest Region in some 37 sites. Given that these sites do not cover all the sites managing HIV clients, expectations are to have restitution to ensure that the knowledge reaches out to everyone who renders healthcare to people living with HIV in all Districts.

Emmanuel Fointama, the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager of the Northwest Technical group for HIV revealed that the Northwest is forth in the number of Persons Living with HIV in Cameroon. In recent years, there has been a significant drop in the HIV prevalence from 5% to less than 2%. The continuous empowerment of frontline staff has been beneficial as all stakeholders race towards attaining HIV epidemic control by 2030. Dr. Chiabi Eugene, Senior Technical Advisor the HIV- Free Northwest project applauds the progress made so far even in the midst of several challenges faced.

Thanks to policies adopted at the national level within the Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD), a client-centered approach that adapts HIV services to meet the diverse needs of individuals, moving away from the one-size-fits-all model. It aims to simplify and enhance service delivery across the care continuum maximizing efficiency and user satisfaction while reducing unnecessary burdens on the health system.