December 1, 2021
The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Commemorates World AIDS Day 2021 with a Commitment to Continue Our Partnership with Cameroon in the Fight against HIV/AIDS, especially among Children and Adolescents
YAOUNDÉ, CAMEROON, 2021 – On December 1, the United States government, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), commemorates World AIDS Day 2021 under the global theme “Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone’s Voice” and the Cameroon-focused message “Together, to protect and improve care provided to our children and adolescents.”
This message reflects the U.S. government’s strong commitment to ending the HIV epidemic globally, including in Cameroon, through supporting equitable health services, solutions, and lasting collaborations. It also conveys PEPFAR’s deep commitment to ensure that the diverse voices of all affected ages, genders, and population groups are heard and valued in the global AIDS response.
PEPFAR and the Global Fund are the largest supporters of children and adolescents affected by HIV in Cameroon. PEPFAR has supported the Government of Cameroon to provide lifesaving antiretroviral treatment (ART) to more than 16,000 children this year, but more work is needed to ensure that all children and adolescents who need ART have access. PEPFAR has increased access to optimal ART for mothers, significantly reducing the transmission risk to their child. For children and adolescents, PEPFAR currently provides more than $6 million USD (over F CFA 3,4 billion) to Cameroon to support programming where adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to HIV.
Since 2003, the U.S. government, through PEPFAR, has saved more than 20 million lives, preventing millions of HIV infections globally. Beginning in 2013, PEPFAR has supported Cameroon with more than $500 million (F CFA 289 billion), including a current annual budget of $89 million (F CFA 51, 4 billion). PEPFAR works with the Government of Cameroon to erase barriers to quality HIV service access through various U.S agencies: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Defense (DOD), Peace Corps, US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of State. The U.S. government looks forward to a continued strong and productive partnership with the Government of Cameroon to optimize HIV care for all children and adolescents in Cameroon.
For more information on PEPFAR’s activities in Cameroon, visit: www.state.gov/pepfar