The project aims to improve treatment outcomes and the quality of life for people living with HIV in the rural district of Batibo, in Cameroon's Northwest Region, an area particularly affected by the sociopolitical crisis, poverty, and limited access to healthcare services. The initiative, spearheaded by the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Batibo, focuses on strengthening continuity of care, access to antiretroviral treatment, home-based follow-up, and nutritional and psychosocial support for 247 people living with HIV, many of whom are in situations of high socioeconomic vulnerability.
The project will implement a comprehensive set of actions, including treatment adherence counseling, home visits, patient support groups, community awareness campaigns, combating HIV-related stigma, training community health workers, and targeted support for orphans and vulnerable children. It also includes food and transportation assistance to facilitate access to healthcare, as well as capacity-building activities and emotional support for those affected and their families. The intervention is carried out in close collaboration with district health services and local authorities, strengthening the link between community services and the healthcare system.
The expected impacts are significant and sustainable. The project aims to increase treatment retention to 95% of beneficiaries, improve viral suppression, reduce opportunistic infections, and decrease HIV-related mortality. Furthermore, it anticipates a substantial improvement in the physical, emotional, and economic well-being of participants, a reduction in stigma and discrimination within communities, greater knowledge about HIV prevention and treatment, and the strengthening of permanent community support networks. In the long term, beneficiaries are expected to adopt lasting habits of treatment adherence, improve their social integration, and develop greater resilience to the effects of the disease and poverty, contributing to the achievement of SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.
