Training on the 3-test screening algorithm for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B in the North-West Region

This is a significant step toward improving HIV care services. The goal is to strengthen the capacity of health care providers, including district focal points for PMTCT/PEPCA and laboratory technicians in the nine health districts of the Northwest Region. The four-day training program focuses on theoretical and practical sessions covering the 3-test algorithm for screening for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. This initiative is part of Phase 1b of the transition to the new screening protocol.

The training-of-trainers session for district trainers, which began on Wednesday, January 22, in Bafoussam, is organized by the National Committee for the Fight Against AIDS (NACC) in collaboration with the Family Health Directorate of the Ministry of Public Health, with the active participation of partners including Evidence Action, CBCHB, and GHSS.

The Northwest Region is the first among the six remaining regions (Southwest, East, Adamawa, North, and Far North) to initiate this second phase of scaling up the HIV testing algorithm.

According to the Coordinator of the North-West Regional Technical Group, Dr. Jude Bereynuy, the training has indeed begun, despite some initial planning challenges. The capacity-building process includes expansion to other sites before testing actually begins. “We look forward to another train-the-trainer session for the region’s remaining 12 districts as soon as possible,” he emphasized.