The 38th edition of World AIDS Day, held on December 2, 2025, at the North West Regional Fund for Health Promotion, brought together leaders, health workers, and community advocates committed to ending HIV.
Among them, Dr. Fozao Mbi Vanessa, Country Representative for Pediatric-Adolescent Treatment Africa (PATA), delivered a message that resonated strongly on the path to eliminating HIV runs through the hands of empowered healthcare providers.
Speaking shortly after the ceremony, Dr. Mbi explained that PATA, headquartered in South Africa, is built on the understanding that frontline healthcare providers play the most decisive role in improving outcomes for children and adolescents living with HIV. For her, strengthening these providers is not just important, it is essential.
“We are there to make sure that children and adolescents living with HIV have the best possible care,” she said. “To do that, we need to invest in the healthcare provider.” She highlighted that providers who join the PATA Network gain access to a wealth of support, training, and collaboration opportunities that enhance their skills and confidence.
One of the network’s most valuable platforms, she noted, is PATA REALS, a series of web-based sessions where providers can discuss real-life cases, engage with peers, and consult experts across the continent. The next session is slated for December 16, 2025, and Dr. Mbi encouraged providers to register and participate.
But the organization’s work extends far beyond virtual engagement. Throughout November, observed globally as World AIDS Month, PATA's Country Representative implemented the Pediatric Breakthrough Partnership in Cameroon’s North West region. The initiative, done in a consortium with AIDSFONDS, EGPAF, UNICEF, and funded by ViiV Healthcare, specifically targeted the hard-to-reach districts of Ako and Nwa in Donga Mantung Division. Dr. Mbi described these areas as not only geographically difficult to access but also deeply underserved in terms of healthcare support.
The project focused on strengthening the capacity of service providers through training and mentorship while simultaneously running sensitization campaigns, expanding HIV testing, and encouraging antenatal care attendance.
Dr. Mbi noted that many women in these communities remain reluctant to seek ANC services, making maternal and child health interventions particularly critical. The team also assisted families with registering for universal health coverage, aiming to reduce financial barriers to care for children, adolescents, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
To refine their efforts, PATA conducted a short survey during the month’s activities. The results revealed persistent misconceptions that continue to undermine prevention efforts. “We found that 30 percent of young people aged 15 to 19 still believe that HIV is caused by witchcraft,” Dr. Mbi said.
Such findings underscore the ongoing need for targeted communication strategies that address misinformation and reach young people in meaningful ways. For her, tackling these myths is non-negotiable if Cameroon and the wider region hope to achieve the global goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
At the heart of Dr. Mbi’s message is a belief that the HIV response must remain people-centred, beginning with the healthcare providers who deliver essential services every day.
The PATA Network, according to Dr. Mbi Vanessa, seeks to nurture this community by offering training, advocacy support, and platforms for collaboration that allow providers to learn from and uplift one another. As she emphasized, the network stands firmly with those who “do it right, do it together, and do it every day.”
This year’s World AIDS Day theme, “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response”, alongside the regional slogan “Together let’s preserve the gains for the elimination of HIV by 2030”, reflects both progress and urgency. For Dr. Vanessa Mbi, the message is clear that the fight against HIV can be won, but only if the people on the frontlines are empowered, connected, and supported in their mission.
Wow, thanks for this opportunity to get our voices heard. Indeed we can end Pediatric HIV if we do it right, so it together and do it now.🙏🏼
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