Prevention of  HIV/AIDS in Central African region

On behalf of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) and the Organisation to coordinate the fight against diseases in Central African region (“Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte  contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale” OCEAC), the Swiss Centre for International Health is supporting the prevention of the HIV/AIDS since 2005. Tasks of SCIH include the overall coordination of activities and the programmatic and financial management of the program jointly with various partners.

The programme of a total financial volume of 10 million € has a broad range of activities in three countries, the Republic of Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic. Overall it aims to contribute to the reduction of the infection rate with HIV (and other sexually transmitted diseases) as well as the stigmatization and social marginalization of the victims, the people living with HIV/AIDS.

One line of activity improves the supply with high quality condoms at subsidized prices as well as the handling, the attitude and the behaviour of the population towards condoms, especially those representing a particularly high risk group. Another line, improves HIV/AIDS knowledge among high risk groups such as adolescents. At the level of a regional youth journal various aspects are discussed including the relationship between the HIV infection and the abstinence, the fidelity of the partners and the use of condoms. Activities are also placed in a regional perspective for example for reducing of cross border sales of condoms.

The utilization of condoms, awareness raising and measures to reduce the stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS are conducted by three associations at country level in Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic. Their activities rely on social marketing techniques so that for example the “Association Camerounaise de Marketing Social” was able to sell in the year 2006 more than 24 million condoms. There are also close collaborations with a multitude of other partners such as the national HIV/AIDS control programs, UNAIDS, UNFPA and UNESCO. Given the good results so far, the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau is considering to extent activities to Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Congo.

 

Dr. Kaspar Wyss
Swiss Tropical Institute
Swiss Center for International Health 

 

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