Updated information on the activities of the "Healthy Aging with HIV" (VIHeillir) initiative in Cameroon has been released. The program has registered a total of 1,236 individuals from the target population since its launch in June 2021, we learned.

Expertise France, the organization backing the initiative, explains that VIHeillir aims to "enhance the health of people aged 50 and above living with HIV by incorporating the management of five priority comorbidities during regular visits”. These comorbidities include diabetes, high blood pressure, precancerous cervical lesions in women, as well as hepatitis B and C.

Data from the initiative indicates that high blood pressure is the most prevalent comorbidity among the target population, accounting for 99% of registered individuals (1,223 people). However, the presence of other comorbidities is also observed. The care provided by VIHeillir includes comorbidity prevention and education, metabolic disease monitoring, engagement in sports and recreational activities, nutrition workshops, and dietary support.

This initiative is based on the observation that the follow-up of people living with AIDS over 50 years of age has shown that they develop new pathologies that are expensive to treat. In the case of hepatitis C, a patient has to pay more than CFA400,000 for treatment.

Since 2021, the initiative has been implemented in two healthcare facilities: the Yaoundé Military Hospital and the Bafia District Hospital. Additionally, VIHeillir is being introduced in Senegal at the Fann University Hospital Center in Dakar and the Ouakam Hospital.