Differences in HIV infection trends in two regions of Cameroon with a longstanding HIV epidemic: insights from 2012 and 2022

This research compared how common HIV infection was in remote communities in two regions of Cameroon over about ten years. The team surveyed adults in the East and South regions during two time periods: 2012/2013 and 2021/2022. They tested participants for HIV using standard rapid tests and laboratory assays to see how many people had HIV antibodies.

In the East region, HIV prevalence dropped significantly over the decade. In 2012/2013, about 6.9% of participants tested positive for HIV, but by 2021/2022 this had fallen to 2.7%. This suggests that transmission or prevalence declined in this area over time.

In contrast, the South region did not show a substantial change. HIV prevalence was around 5.5% in 2012/2013 and remained roughly 5.2% in 2021/2022. This indicates that, despite overall efforts to control HIV, the epidemic has remained largely unchanged in the South’s remote communities.

Because the South has better road connections within Cameroon and to neighbouring countries, people move more widely there, which may contribute to ongoing virus spread. The authors suggest that this region should be a priority for targeted HIV prevention, testing, and treatment efforts to help reduce infection rates.

Overall, the study highlights that progress against HIV has been uneven between regions in Cameroon and that strategies may need to be tailored locally to reach global HIV targets.

Disclaimer: This lay summary was generated by AI and has not been approved by any of the authors yet.