Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
When Colleen Oakes, PEPFAR Country Coordinator in Cameroon visited St. Martin De Porres Dominican Hospital in Yaounde to evaluate the implementation of the project, her expectations were met.
“I was extremely impressed with the dedication and the work that I saw in the hospital,” The Country Coordinator said at the end of the visit.
It was her first opportunity to see the work that has been done in the country. “I can see that the staff were making really outstanding progress in reaching people living with HIV and helping them stay on treatment and live a healthy life”, Colleen Oakes told News Upfront.
The visit to the hospital was within the framework of the celebration of the 2023 World AIDS Day, and the celebration of the 20 years of impact of the PEPFAR project. In 20 years, PEPFAR has saved about 25 million lives globally, helped prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child with 5.5 million babies born HIV free by infected mothers. It has equally supported some 327, 000 health workers directly.
In Cameroon, the statistics presented during the visit to the hospital were Lauderdale. 403,493 women, men, and children placed on lifesaving treatment, 1.2 million people who benefitted from HIV testing services received their test results, 32,000 babies born free of HIV to mothers living with HIV, and 303,655 clients initiated on Tuberculosis therapy.
“PEPFAR is supporting the development strategy of health facilities to test people and link them to treatment making sure they stay on treatment,” says Dr Elat Jean Bosco, Country Director of Georgetown University.
Georgetown University in the implementing partner of PEPFAR, and they strongly rely on community-led organizations to sustain the implementation. That is how, the University is working closely with the St Martin De Porres Dominican Hospital in Yaounde, and others. Besides strengthening health infrastructure, Georgetown University in Cameroon equally trains, mentors, and coaches healthcare professionals in HIV testing, treatment, and clinical management, distribute commodities, survey and control quality of drugs, strengthen the epidemiological monitoring and surveillance system among others. The government of Cameroon is strongly supporting the initiative in the country. The Head of the Biyem Assi Heath District present at the ceremony said “We always instruct health providers to consider everybody when delivering health care. That is why we appreciate the contributions of PEPFAR”.
“We were able to improve on our testing, treatment services thanks to training received from the PEPFAR project,” Cheukak Ngangom Jocelyne, assistant medical director, UPEC, St. Martin De Porres Dominican Hospital told this reporter.
With the strides, the hospital still faces some challenges. “We still lack some vital machines like CD4 machine for diagnosis in advanced disease management” she said.
The PEPFAR Country Coordinator, Colleen Oakes believe that the best way forward is to intensify efforts that are being made at the moment. “Special attention should be placed on children,” she said.
Worth noting is the fact that the HIV care and treatment unit (UPEC) at St Martin De Porres Dominican Hospital was created in 2009, and operates with approximately 22 staff. It has a bed capacity of 155, and offers diverse health services.
