"My Friend with HIV Remains a Friend": HIV/AIDS Stigma Reduction through Education in Secondary Schools-A Pilot Project in Buea, Cameroon.

ABSTRACT: The universal access to treatment and care for people living with HIV (PLWHIV) is still a major problem, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of HIV-infected people live. Equally important is the fact that HIV/AIDS-related stigma is recognized to be a major obstacle to successfully control the spread of this disease. We devised a pilot project (titled "My friend with HIV remains a friend") to fight the HIV/AIDS stigmatization through educating secondary school students by openly HIV-positive teachers. In a first step, we have measured the amount and type of stigma felt by the PLWHIV in Buea/Cameroon using the "The people living with HIV Stigma Index" from Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Gossiping and verbal insults were experienced by 90% of the interviewees, while 9% ha

SUBMITTER: Jacobi CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7011319 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature