Truckers in Cameroon get free condoms in fight against AIDS

In an attempt to curb high AIDS rates in the West African country of Cameroon, long-distance truck drivers will receive free condoms during the next five years.

According to Public Health Minister Urbain Olanguena Awono, the Canadian-funded project aims to reduce drastically the HIV/AIDS infection rate among the nations 28,000 long-distance truck drivers from 15 percent, compared with 6 percent for Cameroon as a whole.

The minister says these are people who, by virtue of their profession, are very mobile and spend most of their time away from home and tend to have multiple sex partners, and are therefore very vulnerable to contracting HIV/AIDS.

The scheme will apparently concentrate on international trucking routes where infection rates are highest, reaching 35 percent on the northern highway to Chad.

Eighteen stop points have been selected in frontier towns and major highways to offer medical consultations and distribute the free condoms.

This will be accompanied by an education campaign on HIV/AIDS, free testing for infected persons and the distribution of drugs for selected drivers and persons along the highways.

The project aims to also target around 72,000 people who interact with drivers on a daily basis, particularly hotel attendants, bar and restaurant workers, and prostitutes.

As a survey has shown that HIV infection is 60 percent higher among women than men in both urban and rural Cameroon, there will be particular emphasis on women.

The project, which will be carried out by CARE International Cameroon and the Cameroon Social Marketing Programme (ACMS), has been welcomed by truck drivers who say they are often lonely and look for a partner just to pass the night.

News-Medical.Net Staff