Afew hours to the celebration of the 34th International Women’s Day, women at the International Reference Centre « Chantal Biya » for Research on the Prevention and Management of HIV/AIDS (CIRCB), have organised educative talks on the theme “knowledge, attitude, practices and perceptive to HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Viral.” While opening discussions on March 6, 2019, the Director General of CIRCB, Prof Alexis Ndjolo reiterated the importance of commemorating a day to honour women. He stated that they constitute 52 per cent of the workforce at CIRCB. Prof Alexis Ndjolo said so many activities are taking place to commemorate Women’s Day.

But CIRCB women preferred to deal with a theme that falls within their daily job of carrying out research on pertinent health issues. The moderator of the conference, Dr Sylvie Moudoura, talked about HIV, its symptoms, evolution of the disease, preventive methods and its treatment which as of now is the anti-retroviral drugs. Information revealed that some 560,000 Cameroonians are infected by HIV. Dr Moudoura stressed that HIV is real, which is contrary to what some people think as an illness linked to witchcraft and can be treated.

CIRCB Laboratories Coordinator, Pro fessor Judith Torimori during discussions also revealed that during December routine week-long activities to commemorate World AIDS Day, CIRCB while offering free screening and educational talks to those who came to be screened, discovered that many people do not know about hepatitis B and C as well as the fact that it can be transmitted from mo ther-to-child. She told women that research at the centre shows that hepatitis B can be transmitted from mother-to-child and women need to know how to prevent such a situation.