The First Lady’s’ charitable association, CERAC, yesterday organised a sensitisation and HIV screening campaign at the Yaounde V Sub-division.

Youths in Yaounde, particularly those from the Universities of Yaounde I and II as well as inhabitants of the Yaounde V Sub-division revealed their determination in joining Cameroon’s First Lady, Chantal Biya, who is also, UNAIDS Special Ambassador, in curbing the HIV pandemic in the country. Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at the Omnisport Stadium in Yaounde, scores of youths turned out in their numbers to participate in Information, Sensitisation and HIV Screening Day organised by the Circle of Friends of Cameroon (CERAC) within the 2017 AIDS Free Holidays. Heading the CERAC delegation at the Omnisport arena was Marcie Niat, one of the Vice President’s of CERAC.

In a comic but educational manner, the youths made known to their CERAC mothers that they have an in-depth knowledge on how to curb HIV, especially in the use of female condoms. One of the peer educators, Josée-Finesse Bindzi Mbarga said they have joined their force to that of CERAC and its Founding President Chantal Biya to achieve the 90-90-90 concept introduced by the United Nation’s programme on HIV/AIDS in 2013. The idea is that by 2020, 90 per cent of people who are HIV infected will be diagnosed, 90 per cent of people who are diagnosed will be on antiretroviral treatment and 90 per cent of those who receive antiretroviral will be virally suppressed.

The day was an opportunity for Police Superintendent, Emile Ntang to school those present on cyber criminality and the risk of the social media. Knowing that this year’s AIDS Free Holidays campaign is organised on the theme “Android Youth, Click On HIV Screening” Emile Ntang underlined that the internet does not have a frontier and the youths should properly use it to improve their health.  

While reading a message of CERAC’s Founding President to the youths, Cécile Oyono, acknowledged that it was the first time CERAC and her partners were at Yaounde V not only to edify the population on the HIV pandemic but also to add an innovation to the AIDS campaign. She urged the youths to take the future into their hands, undertake the HIV test and adopt proper behaviour and activities which will contribute to the development of the country.