Cameroon is devising new methods to eliminate mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmissions, Minister of Public Health Malachie Manaouda said on Tuesday.

“With the increase of children affected by the virus, we are designing a new strategic vision and new priority actions to accelerate the elimination of mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission and treatment of HIV in children and adolescents.” the minister said.

Only 20 percent of infected under-18 are taken care of, Manaouda said.

Despite “important challenges”, Manaouda said, Cameroon is on the path of attaining the 90-90-90 goal, which requires countries to ensure 90 percent of people living with HIV know their HIV status, receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and have viral suppression by 2020.

Manaouda was addressing a national forum on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission and HIV care in children and adolescents, in the capital city, Yaounde, in collaboration with UNICEF.

According to Cameroon National AIDS Control Committee, 6,000 newborn babies from infected mothers were taken care of in 2018.

There are over 500,000 people infected with HIV/AIDS in Cameroon, and despite better access to treatment in adults, access to antiretroviral treatment for children remains very inadequate, according to the health ministry.

Source: Xinhuanet