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Central Africa
Contact Information
Regional Focal Point
Nahbila Paquita Tabenyang , Cameroon - (Profile)
National Focal Points
Asue Franklin Kang, Cameroon - (Profile)
Jean Claude Kamwenubusa, Burundi - (Profile)
Hippolyte Bwiza Muhire, Rwanda - (Profile)
Lundja Jacques, Democratic Republic of Congo - (Profile)
To join the Central Africa regional email list, please send a blank email to GYCA-CentralAfrica-subscribe@groups.takingitglobal.org
Background
Rwanda’s epidemic has stabilized in the 2000s, but HIV prevalence remains high in the capital, Kigali, where approximately 13% of pregnant women were HIV-positive in 2003. Just over 3% [2.7%–3.8%] of adults—approximately 150 000 people—were living with HIV in 2005 in neighboring Burundi, where divergent trends are evident in different parts of the country. HIV prevalence among young (15–24 years) pregnant women declined from 13% to 9% in 2000–2004 (prevalence from 13% to 9%) at antenatal clinics in Bujumbura and other urban areas (Ministère de la Santé Publique Burundi, 2005).
In sparsely populated Chad, a recent national HIV survey has found adult HIV prevalence of 3.3%. In the country’s five largest cities and towns, over 6% of adults were living with HIV and in the capital, N’Djamena, prevalence was 8%. Incomplete HIV data make it difficult to discern clear trends in most countries of Central Africa, but Cameroon and the Central African Republic appear to be most affected. In the latter, almost 11% [4.5–17.2%] of adults (aged 15–49 years) were living with HIV in 2005 (UNAIDS, 2006), while adult HIV prevalence in the former exceeded 5% [4.9%–5.9%] (UNAIDS, 2006).
It is estimated that as many as one million [560 000–1.5 million] people, more than 100 000 [40 000–270 000] of them children younger than 14 years, were living with HIV in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2005 (UNAIDS, 2006). However, HIV surveillance data are unavailable for many parts of this large country. To its west, in the smaller and less populous Republic of the Congo, some 120 000 [75 000–160 000] people were living with HIV in 2005 (UNAIDS, 2006).
In sum, sub-Saharan Africa’s HIV epidemics are following divergent trends. There is evidence of diminishing or stable HIV spread in most east African and west African countries, along with signs of growing epidemics in a few countries.
Source: UNAIDS, 2006 AIDS Epidemic Update, December 2006
GYCA Activities
RFP for Central Africa visits Let the Little Children Come to Me
By Jean Claude Dusingize
Let the Little Children Come to Me (LLCCM) was founded in May 2001 by five voluntary parents in the village of Rukira, Huye sector (Huye District in the Southern province of Rwanda). Its mission is to provide help and support to orphaned and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS and the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Children supported by the center are adopted by families in the community, some of which often have a child as head of household. The families take responsibility for the children; however, due to the limitations of resources, the families may be supported by LLCCM. The center helps the children with education, welfare and income generation.
When I visited this orphanage, I discussed with LLCCM leaders challenges they are facing and strategies they can use to support their activities. I gave an overview of different NGOs, government institutions and other organisations and foundations that can help them as well. One of the highlights of my visit was that I got the opportunity to interview LLCCM members.
Hakizimana Deogratias, a 16 year-old male, lives in Mpungwe Village in the Southern Province of Rwanda. Hakizimana’s father died two years ago and his mother remarried. Hakizimana is the eldest child, currently living with his two brothers and two sisters. Hakizimana found out he was HIV positive when he was tested three years ago. He believes he got the virus from his mother who is HIV positive too. According to Hakizimana, his family’s living conditions are not good. They live by their agriculture and help from their neighbours. He said that he feels very weak and often does not have the energy to do farm work. He would like to find another job that can help him and his brothers and sisters to survive.
Rural Sensitization Campaign in Cameroon
Nabbila distributing educational materials during the campaign
Nahbila Tabenyang, Cameroon NFP, recently led a two day HIV awareness campaign in a village called Dikome-Bafan, located in the South West province of Cameroon. This rural village survives on sustenance farming and faces many challenges, including bad roads, the complete absence of electricity and telephone services, and a literacy rate under 10%. Paquita, along with other members of her organization and international volunteers, aimed to reach out to the village youth and educate them about HIV transmission and prevention. As well, the group hoped to get youth involved in building their community through full participation in fighting this disease.
The campaign involved assessing youth knowledge about sex, HIV prevention and transmission, testing, and treatment, and then transmitting correct information on these issues. Trainers held several separate group discussions for young women and young men. They also focused on primary school pupils who were between 8 and 14 years old, and found that even though the group was very young, many were aware of AIDS. Using a multifaceted approach, the trainers then held a training for 70 adults on adolescent sexuality and health, so that parents would be better able to help their children from becoming infected with HIV and other diseases, and distributed educational materials on HIV and condoms.
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Regional News
2007 HIV/AIDS Implementer's meeting in Kigali.
United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief at the Office
of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator in partnership with the Government
of Rwanda, plan the 2007 HIV/AIDS Implementers' Meeting scheduled for
June 16-19, 2007 , in Kigali , Rwanda .
The meeting is co-sponsored by:
U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR)
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
(GFATM)
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
The World Bank
World Health Organization (WHO)
This year's theme is "Scaling Up Through Partnerships"
Together, implementers will exchange lessons learned on building
the capacity of local prevention, treatment, and care programs,
maintaining quality control, and coordination of efforts. This forum
will facilitate an open dialogue about future directions of HIV/AIDS
programs, with a strong emphasis on implementation and identification
of critical barriers and best practices.
Ambassador Mark Dybul the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Dr Agnes
Binagwaho the Executive Secretary of the National AIDS Control
Commission are the co-chairs of the 2007 HIV/AIDS Implementers'
Meeting and a member of the International Steering Committee for the
meeting.
The International Steering Committee includes representative of our
key international co-sponsors, including the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; the United Nations Joint Programme on
HIV/AIDS; the World Bank; UNICEF; and the World Health Organization.
This is a meeting for program implementers to share lessons learned in
the scale-up of HIV/AIDS programs.
The objectives of this meeting are to:
Widely disseminate, in real time, lessons learned
during the implementation of multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS programs with a
focus on:
Scale-up of prevention, treatment, and care programs
Building local capacity
Quality
Coordination among partners
Catalyze an open dialogue about future directions of
HIV/AIDS programs with a strong emphasis on implementation and
identification of critical barriers
Directly impact HIV/AIDS program implementation in
the upcoming year through the diffusion of best practices
For more information Visit the HIV/AIDS Implementers website
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