This is a project presented by the various UN agencies in Cameroon to the Minister of Youth and Civic Education to help fight the disease among youth
The UN systems in Cameroon and the Ministry of Youth and Civic Education have pledged to intensify efforts to reduce the HIV/AIDS prevalence among adolescent girls and young women.
Last week, a team from the various UN systems in Cameroon met with the Minister of Youth and Civic Education, MonounaFoutsou to present “Education Plus” - a United Nations project, co-led by UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women.
Welcoming his guests, the Minister of Youth and Civic Education, MounounaFoutsou, lauded the cooperation that exists between the government and these agencies who have together undertaken actions to promote development and improve on the living conditions of Cameroonians.
Regarding the “Education Plus” project, the head of delegation, Ms. SavinaAmmassari, UNAIDS Country Director for Cameroon, its main objective is to reduce new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women, by keeping girls in school until the end of secondary school. She added that prolonged schooling is an important means of protection against HIV but also aims to empower adolescents and young women to fully play their role in society.
It is an awareness-raising, mobilization and advocacy initiative aimed at encouraging actors to engage in the mobilization of financial resources and partners in order to strengthen policies and programmes in favour of adolescent girls and young women, she said.
The “Education Plus” project is beneficial for several reasons, she said, adding that girls aged 15 to 24 are far more infected with AIDS than their male counterparts. It is therefore a question of acting to reduce these inequalities which fundamentally harm the development of this sensitive segment of the population, UNAID Country Director said.
Moreover, in view of the multidimensional nature of the problem, the Agencies of the United Nations System have opted for a multisectoral approach.
In terms of statistics presented by the UNFPA resident representative in Cameroon SitiBatoulOussein, 41 per cent of girls have a complete knowledge of HIV, 20per cent among girls aged 15-24 against less than one per cent among young boys of the same age group, 19per cent of girls in the same age group have already had a child, the use of contraception is not widespread among young girls.
Consequently, there is an increase in the neonatal mortality rate, a subject which concerns both the UNS and the Cameroonian Government.
In terms of perspectives and synergy of action, the UNESCO representative spoke of the contribution of education within the framework of "Education Plus", stressing that it concerns both the formal and informal sectors. This work requires the training of Cameroonian teachers to achieve this goal optimally. According to her, future prospects for collaboration could relate to improving education curricula, with particular emphasis on non-formal education, taking into account disabled and vulnerable persons.
On his part, the Minister of Youth and Civic Education, MounounaFoutsou, reiterated the importance of the Multifunctional Youth Promotion Centres in the success of the project.
Expressing support for the “Education Plus” initiative,the Minister also underlined the importance of synergy in order to integrate the Youth Connekt initiative into the project presented to facilitate communication among young people.
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