Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα Burkina Faso. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων
Εμφάνιση αναρτήσεων με ετικέτα Burkina Faso. Εμφάνιση όλων των αναρτήσεων

Τετάρτη 13 Οκτωβρίου 2021

From Ivory Coast to Burkina Faso, we bring what is most valuable to us...

 
Image from Internet

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ: Από την Ακτή Ελεφαντοστού στη Μπουρκίνα Φάσο

Ivory Coast – the name alone sounds interesting. It is, of course, reminiscent of another era, a tough one, that of colonialism. The colonists then gave the countries names after the products they took from them. One night, from those typical of such tropical regions, my predecessor, His Eminence Metropolitan Narcissus of Naucratis, very wisely pointed out how much we, Orthodox Christians, differ from them. They insisted on grabbing what was most valuable to the countries, whereas we bring them what is most valuable to us, Orthodoxy.

In Abidjan, the capital city of Ivory Coast, we have our first parish with Fr. Jeremiah Behanzin as parish priest. Recently, two other priests have been ordained and two new centers of Orthodoxy have been created, two new parishes. In Akures village, 47 km away from Abidjan, where Fr. Sebastian Mahi serves, the sacred services are performed inside a straw hut. In Agboville, a town 70 km away from Abidjan, Fr. Albert Ebrin conducts the sacred services in a makeshift tent. Fortunately, with the help of a local believer, we have secured a plot of land on which a church building is already under construction. His Beatitude our Patriarch is also planning to have a clinic and a school built in this area.

Despite all the difficulties we face on the Coast – the need for church buildings not only in the two new parishes, but also in other suburbs of Abidjan, the necessity of continuous training of clergy as well as of finding prospective candidates to the priesthood – yet, our missionary zeal does not wane. This explains how Orthodoxy has traveled all the way through from Ivory Coast to Burkina Faso.

Our faithful in Agboville are waiting…

Accompanied by a group of believers, Fr. Jeremiah visited the neighboring country, and his contact with the natives there bore fruit. In a relatively short time, our first parish community was created. With the frequent visits of either Fr. Jeremiah or Fr. Albert, there were catechisms, baptisms, Divine Liturgies. A house in the Benogo region of Ouagadougou, the capital city, has been used for the conduction of the Sacred Mysteries and as a gathering place for the faithful.

With the spread of the pandemic, the borders between the countries have been closed. As a result, our faithful in Burkina Faso are deprived of the visits of our priests as well as of God’s blessing, since the Holy Mysteries cannot possibly be conducted without a priest. We pray that things change for the better soon. It is encouraging though that there is a newly-lit brother distinguished by his moral values, faith and thirst to know more and more of the Orthodox faith, who would make a good first permanent priest for our new parish community.

Even though things are not at all easy for our Mission, I do not lose faith as I remember the words of our Lord in the Gospel of Matthew (9:37), «The harvest is plentiful.» We may lack resources, but with God’s help along with your support and love, I strongly believe that everything will be accomplished, even if it takes more time.

Wishing in the Lord, † Peter of Accra

See also

The Orthodox community of Burkina Faso // La communauté orthodoxe du Burkina Faso!...

Οuverture du paroisse Orthodoxe en République du Burkina Faso 

Ivory Coast 

Orthodox Ivory Coast 

Côte-d'Ivoire: le colonialisme, la liberté, l'histoire et l'Eglise orthodoxe // Ivory Coast: colonialism, freedom, history and the Orthodox Church

Diocèse de Accra

The Passion of Jesus Christ and the Passions of Africa...
The Kingdom of Heaven, where racial discrimination has no place 
How “White” is the Orthodox Church?
Orthodox Mission in Tropical Africa (& the Decolonization of Africa)

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Τρίτη 30 Μαρτίου 2021

«Νόμιμα» προϊόντα δουλείας & ναρκωτικά…

 

ΕΥΧΗ

Αυτό το άρθρο δεν πρόκειται να αναφερθεί στο ερώτημα μήπως θα έπρεπε να απαγορευτεί η κυκλοφορία των τσιγάρων… Θα θέσουμε βέβαια το ερώτημα μήπως θα έπρεπε να κλείσουν εντελώς τα καζίνο και οι χαρτοπαιχτικές λέσχες, που αποτελούν σαφέστατα χώρους εξάρτησης ανθρώπων και απώλειας όχι μόνο περιουσιών, αλλά και οικογενειακών σχέσεων, ευτυχίας και, σε πολλές περιπτώσεις, της ίδιας της ζωής. Οι χώροι αυτοί λειτουργούν νόμιμα για φορολογικούς λόγους – είναι σαφές αυτό – καθώς και για την εξυπηρέτηση οικονομικών κύκλων μεγάλης δύναμης, σ’ ένα κράτος εντελώς αδιάφορο για τον άνθρωπο και δέσμιο με θρησκευτική προσήλωση στην ιδεολογία της απληστίας.

Κυρίως όμως επιθυμούμε ν’ αναφερθούμε σε θέματα λιγότερο συζητημένα. Και τούτα είναι κατά βάσιν τα προϊόντα δουλείας που χρησιμοποιούμε καθημερινά και οι εξαρτησιογόνες συσκευές που έχουν κατακλύσει τη ζωή μας και βρίσκονται ακόμη και στα χέρια «νηπίων και θηλαζόντων».

Τα προϊόντα δουλείας που εννοούμε είναι κυρίως δύο: το κοβάλτιο, για τις μπαταρίες των κινητών τηλεφώνων, και το κακάο με όλα τα προϊόντα που το περιέχουν.

Οι σκλάβοι του κοβαλτίου

Αναζητώντας στο διαδίκτυο τη φράση «Οι σκλάβοι του κοβαλτίου» θα συναντήσουμε άφθονα άρθρα που διεκτραγωδούν το φλέγον αυτό ζήτημα.

Από εδώ, όπου δημοσιεύεται και σχετικό βίντεο, διαβάζουμε τα παρακάτω:

Οι συνθήκες εργασίας ανήλικων παιδιών σε πολλές χώρες του κόσμου είναι σοκαριστικές και αρκετές φορές φτάνουν στα μάτια της Δύσης, που συνήθως καταναλώνει τα αγαθά, φωτογραφίες και πλάνα από την εκμετάλλευση και τις άθλιες συνθήκες που βιώνουν οι ανήλικοι εργάτες.

Η κάμερα του δικτύου Sky News μπήκε μέσα στα «ορυχεία του τρόμου» στο Κονγκό και οι εικόνες που κατέγραψε είναι αρκετά σκληρές. Επτάχρονα παιδιά δουλεύουν ως σκλάβοι, υπό την απειλή βίας, στην εξόρυξη κοβαλτίου, ενός ορυκτού που χρησιμοποιείται στην παραγωγή κινητών τηλεφώνων.

Η κάμερα καταγράφει ένα παιδί πολύ μικρό σε ηλικία, το οποίο πονάει και υποφέρει, αλλά σπεύδει να κάνει αυτό που πρέπει, γιατί διαφορετικά θα δεχτεί τις συνέπειες που θα είναι αρκετά σκληρές.

Το Κονγκό θεωρείται ο μεγαλύτερος προμηθευτής του κοβαλτίου με ποσοστό που ξεπερνά το 60% της παγκόσμιας παραγωγής. Το πολύτιμο αυτό ορυκτό είναι ένα συστατικό που χρησιμοποιεί η Apple για την κατασκευή των iPhone και iPad, το οποίο προμηθεύεται για λογαριασμό της η κινέζικη εταιρία Huayou. Το κοβάλτιο είναι άκρως απαραίτητο για τη λειτουργία των μπαταριών λιθίου που χρησιμοποιούνται στα κινητά, αλλά και στους υπολογιστές.

Η Apple, μετά τη δημοσιοποίηση των εικόνων, δήλωσε πως «σταματούμε να προμηθευόμαστε κοβάλτιο από το Κονγκό». «Η νέα πολιτική θα ισχύσει έως ότου η αλυσίδα προμηθευτών του κοβαλτίου παρουσιάσει τους απαραίτητους κανόνες προστασίας για τους εργάτες και αποδείξει πως δεν χρησιμοποιούνται παιδιά στις εξορύξεις», ανέφερε ο τεχνολογικός κολοσσός.

Ενδεικτικά πρέπει να αναφερθεί πως στα ορυχεία του τρόμου εργάζονται παιδιά ακόμα και 4 ετών για 12 ώρες τη μέρα έναντι ποσού που ισοδυναμεί με 0,10 σεντς του ευρώ.

Αν όντως η εταιρία Apple είναι συνεπής στη δήλωσή της, η ίδια το ξέρει. Ούτως ή άλλως οι συσκευές αυτές δεν προορίζονται για την «εξυπηρέτηση» των ανθρώπων, αλλά είναι σχεδιασμένες έτσι, ώστε να προκαλούν συμπεριφορά εξάρτησης, με στόχο την αύξηση του οικονομικού κέρδους των εταιριών που τα κατασκευάζουν.

Οι σκλάβοι της σοκολάτας

Ας αναζητήσουμε τώρα στοιχεία με την ένδειξη «οι σκλάβοι της σοκολάτας»… Οι ανακαλύψεις θα είναι φρικτές. Δυστυχώς, υπάρχουν στις οικονομικά ανεπτυγμένες δικές μας χώρες άνθρωποι εξαρτημένοι από την κατανάλωση σοκολάτας και αυτό ιδίως συμβαίνει στα παιδιά. Θα τολμούσα να πω ότι η σοκολάτα είναι το ναρκωτικό των μικρών παιδιών – είναι σκληρό να στερήσεις από ένα παιδί την κατανάλωση σοκολάτας, στην οποία όλα ή σχεδόν όλα τα παιδιά των δικών μας κοινωνιών είναι κυριολεκτικά εθισμένα, παρότι αυτό πιθανώς σημαίνει ότι ποτέ δεν θα μάθει να τρώει φρούτα (μόνο χυμούς, πάλι αμφίβολης ποιότητας) και παρότι αυτή η σοκολάτα είναι προϊόν εκμετάλλευσης, δουλείας και βασανισμού άλλων παιδιών! Μια αναζήτηση του θέματος «Εξάρτηση από τη σοκολάτα» είναι πάρα πολύ διαφωτιστική.

Εδώ διαβάζουμε τα παρακάτω:

Η UNICEF υπολογίζει ότι περίπου μισό εκατομμύριο παιδιά εργάζονται σε φυτείες κακάο στην Ακτή Ελεφαντοστού, που από τη δεκαετία του ’70 διατηρεί την παγκόσμια πρωτιά στις εξαγωγές κακάο.

Οι ηλικίες των εργατών κυμαίνονται από 5 μέχρι 16 και προέρχονται ως επί το πλείστον απ’ τις φτωχότερες χώρες της ηπείρου, όπως είναι η Μπουργκίνα Φάσο και το Μάλι. Τα παιδιά πρέπει να μεταφέρουν σάκους που έχουν πολλαπλάσιο μέγεθος και βάρος απ’ τα ίδια. Αν καθυστερήσουν στη μεταφορά των σάκων, τιμωρούνται, συνήθως με μαστίγωμα.

Παιδιά κάτω των 10 ετών χειρίζονται τεράστια μαχαίρια, με τα οποία σπάνε το σκληρό κέλυφος που φιλοξενεί τους πολύτιμους καρπούς. Δεν υπάρχει ούτε ένα παιδί χωρίς σημάδια στο σώμα του, από τραυματισμούς με τα μαχαίρια. Μερικά έχουν χάσει ακόμα και τα χέρια τους, εξαιτίας μίας και μόνο κακώς υπολογισμένης κίνησης. Όταν μάθουν να χρησιμοποιούν τα θανατηφόρα εργαλεία της “δουλειάς” τους, έχουν να αντιμετωπίσουν άλλους κινδύνους. Καθημερινά, χρησιμοποιούν τοξικές ουσίες για να ραντίσουν τις φυτείες, χωρίς ίχνος προστασίας....

Τα παιδιά-δούλοι ονειρεύονται μόνο να αποδράσουν

Όταν τελειώνει η δουλειά της ημέρας, πολλές ώρες αφότου έχει πέσει το σκοτάδι, τα παιδιά τρώνε το φαγητό που τους αναλογεί: καλαμπόκι και μπανάνες. Είναι τα φθηνότερα τρόφιμα που κυκλοφορούν και σε καμία περίπτωση δεν καλύπτουν τις διατροφικές ανάγκες παιδιών σε ανάπτυξη.

Το βράδυ κοιμούνται πάνω στο ξύλινο πάτωμα. Τα ξημερώματα αρχίζουν πάλι τη δουλειά. Όσα παιδιά επιχείρησαν να αποδράσουν και πιάστηκαν, ξυλοκοπήθηκαν ανελέητα. Έχουν γίνει ελάχιστες ενέργειες για την καταπολέμηση της σύγχρονης παιδικής δουλείας. Δημιουργήθηκε ένα τυπικό πρωτόκολλο, που αν και ζητά την κατάργηση της παιδικής εργασίας, δεν επέβαλε καμία νομική μεταρρύθμιση. Η Ακτή Ελεφαντοστού είναι ο βασικός παραγωγός κακάο για γίγαντες όπως η Cadbury, η Hershey’s κι η Nestle. Συνεργάζονται πολύ διστακτικά με τις έρευνες της UNICEF, αρνούνται να αποκαλύψουν από που παίρνουν το κακάο τους. Απαγόρευσαν να υπάρχει ταμπέλα στα προϊόντα που θα ξεχώριζε αυτά που είχαν παραχθεί νόμιμα από αυτά που βασίζονταν σε παιδική εργασία, γιατί φοβήθηκαν ότι θα ξεκινούσε ένα γενικό μποϊκοτάζ προς όλα τα προϊόντα κακάο....

"Ν":  δείτε επίσης Cocoa child slavery και Slavery today.

Μια ολόκληρη εξαρτημένη γενιά

Τέλος, ας επισημάνουμε ότι ολόκληρη η γενιά των σημερινών εφήβων και παιδιών (και πάμπολλοι ενήλικες φυσικά) βρίσκονται σε κατάσταση κανονικής εξάρτησης από τα «έξυπνα τηλέφωνα» που έχουν στην τσέπη τους, τα οποία στην πραγματικότητα δεν είναι τηλέφωνα αλλά ηλεκτρονικοί υπολογιστές τσέπης. Ας αναζητήσουμε στο διαδίκτυο το άρθρο της Κατερίνας Ράιλυ «Τα Εξαρτημένα Παιδιά του 21ου Αιώνα – Η γενιά που δεν έμαθε ποτέ πώς να ζει», το οποίο μπορεί ο ενδιαφερόμενος να διαβάσει εδώ.

Επίσης το διαφωτιστικό άρθρο του Γιώργου Κουλουρά «Εθισμός στο διαδίκτυο» (εδώ).

Η απάντηση εδώ είναι ότι, κατά τη γνώμη μας, το διαδίκτυο και οι «έξυπνες συσκευές» θα έπρεπε να αντιμετωπίζονται ακριβώς όπως τα ναρκωτικά. Να απαγορεύονται αυστηρά για τα παιδιά. Ακόμη και για σχολικές εργασίες, θα έπρεπε να προτιμάται μια έρευνα στη βιβλιοθήκη. Ειλικρινά, για να μην πω ότι απολύτως τίποτε δεν προσφέρει σ’ έναν ανήλικο το διαδίκτυο, θα πω απλώς ότι θα ήταν σωστό να μην ενθαρρύνεται η χρήση του, γιατί βλέπουμε γύρω μας ότι η νέα γενιά δεν ζει στον αληθινό κόσμο, αλλά στον κόσμο της διαδικτυακής εξάρτησης.

Αποτέλεσμα των παραπάνω, μια γενιά με μειωμένη αντίληψη της πραγματικότητας (άγνοια ακόμη και βασικών στοιχείων της ιστορίας, του πολιτισμού, της γλώσσας και φυσικά της θρησκείας του ίδιου του λαού και του τόπου της) και σοβαρές μαθησιακές δυσκολίες ποικίλης φύσεως. Μια γενιά προγραμματισμένη στην εντέλεια για να γίνει κουρδισμένα ανθρωπάκια χειραγωγήσιμα από τις πολυεθνικές, τους «άρχοντες του αιώνος τούτου», ως ανυπεράσπιστοι εργαζόμενοι και απελπισμένοι, εθισμένοι καταναλωτές ταυτόχρονα.

Ποιος θα τους υπερασπιστεί; Αφήνω το ερώτημα αυτό να απαντηθεί από την αγία μας Εκκλησία και κάθε πνευματικό άνθρωπο – οι υπερασπιστές πάντως αυτού του λαού (ολόκληρου του δυτικού κόσμου, ή μάλλον όλου του κόσμου) στο νέο μεσαίωνα, στον οποίο βυθιζόμαστε, αναζητώνται…

 

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Παρασκευή 21 Φεβρουαρίου 2020

News from Africa...

 
Image from here
 
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Δευτέρα 23 Δεκεμβρίου 2019

The Orthodox community of Burkina Faso // La communauté orthodoxe du Burkina Faso!...



In the Orthodox vineyard of Africa / Dans le vignoble orthodoxe d'Afrique

"We have seen the true Light, we have received the celestial spirit, we have found true faith."
The Orthodox community of Burkina Faso has just been officially installed this Sunday 22/12/19 by the Reverend L'archiprêtre. Jeremie BEHANZIN in the presence of fifty people. The president of the parish committee was designated in the person of Mr. Alain Roger.
Yes, so the Republic of Burkina Faso accepts Orthodoxy. Here are some photos.

"Nous avons vue la vraie Lumière, nous avons reçu l'esprit celeste, nous trouvé la foi veritable."
La communauté orthodoxe du Burkina Faso vient d'être installée officiellement ce dimanche 22 /12/19 par le Révérend L'archiprêtre. Jeremie BEHANZIN en présence d'une cinquantaine de personnes. Le président du comité paroissial a été désigné en la personne du Monsieur Alain Roger.
Oui, afin la République du Burkina Faso accepte Orthodoxie. Voici quelques photos.

More here


From Wikipedia

Burkina Faso (UK: /bɜːrˌkiːnə ˈfæsoʊ/, US: /- ˈfɑːsoʊ/ (About this soundlisten);[7] French: [buʁkina faso]) is a landlocked country in West Africa. It covers an area of around 274,200 square kilometres (105,900 sq mi) and is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north; Niger to the east; Benin to the southeast; Togo and Ghana to the south; and Ivory Coast to the southwest. The July 2019 population estimate by the United Nations was 20,321,378.[8] Burkina Faso is a francophone country, with French as the official language of government and business. Roughly 40% of the population speaks the Mossi language.[8] Formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984), the country was renamed "Burkina Faso" on 4 August 1984 by then-President Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as Burkinabé (/bɜːrˈkiːnəbeɪ/ bur-KEE-nə-bay). Its capital is Ouagadougou.
The Republic of Upper Volta was established on 11 December 1958 as a self-governing colony within the French Community, and on 5 August 1960 it gained full independence, with Maurice Yaméogo as president. After protests by students and labour union members, Yaméogo was deposed in the 1966 coup d'état, led by Sangoulé Lamizana, who became president. His rule coincided with the Sahel drought and famine, and facing problems from the country's traditionally powerful trade unions he was deposed in the 1980 coup d'état, led by Saye Zerbo. Encountering resistance from trade unions again, Zerbo's government was overthrown in the 1982 coup d'état, led by Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo. The leader of the leftist faction of Ouédraogo's government, Thomas Sankara, became prime minister but was later imprisoned. Efforts to free him led to the popularly-supported 1983 coup d'état, in which he became president.[9][10] Sankara renamed the country Burkina Faso and launched an ambitious socioeconomic programme which included a nationwide literacy campaign, land redistribution to peasants, railway and road construction and the outlawing of female genital mutilation, forced marriages and polygamy.[10][11] Sankara was overthrown and killed in the 1987 coup d'état led by Blaise Compaoré – deteriorating relations with former coloniser France and its ally the Ivory Coast were the reason given for the coup.
In 1987, Blaise Compaoré became president and, after an alleged 1989 coup attempt, was later elected in 1991 and 1998, elections which were boycotted by the opposition and received a considerably low turnout, as well as in 2005. He remained head of state until he was ousted from power by the popular youth upheaval of 31 October 2014,[12][13] after which he was exiled to the Ivory Coast. Michel Kafando subsequently became the transitional president of the country. On 16 September 2015, a military coup d'état against the Kafando government was carried out by the Regiment of Presidential Security, the former presidential guard of Compaoré.[14] On 24 September 2015, after pressure from the African Union, ECOWAS and the armed forces, the military junta agreed to step down, and Michel Kafando was reinstated as acting president.[15] In the general election held on 29 November 2015, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré won in the first round with 53.5% of the vote[16] and was sworn in as President on 29 December 2015.[17]
  
Contents

Voir aussi

Οuverture du paroisse Orthodoxe en République du Burkina Faso
 
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Παρασκευή 23 Αυγούστου 2019

Ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030: Scientific Developments from the 2016 INTEREST Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Abstract

The underpinning theme of the 2016 INTEREST Conference held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, 3–6 May 2016 was ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Focused primarily on HIV treatment, pathogenesis and prevention research in resource-limited settings, the conference attracted 369 active delegates from 34 countries, of which 22 were in Africa. Presentations on treatment optimization, acquired drug resistance, care of children and adolescents, laboratory monitoring and diagnostics, implementation challenges, HIV prevention, key populations, vaccine and cure, hepatitis C, mHealth, financing the HIV response and emerging pathogens, were accompanied by oral, mini-oral and poster presentations. Spirited plenary debates on the UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment cascade goal and on antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis took place. Joep Lange career guidance sessions and grantspersonship sessions attracted early career researchers. At the closing ceremony, the Yaoundé Declaration called on African governments; UNAIDS; development, bilateral, and multilateral partners; and civil society to adopt urgent and sustained approaches to end HIV by 2030.
 
Introduction

The goal to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 [] was the underpinning theme of the 10th International Workshop on HIV Treatment, Pathogenesis, and Prevention Research in Resource-Limited Settings (2016 INTEREST Conference) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, 3–6 May 2016. The meeting attracted 369 active delegates from 34 countries of which 22 were in Africa (Cameroon, South Africa, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda and Swaziland). Spirited plenary debates on the UNAIDS 90-90-90 (90-90-90 refers to the targets of 90% of people living with HIV knowing their serostatus, 90% of those who know they are HIV-positive being on antiretroviral treatment [ART] and 90% of those on ART achieving viral suppression. This translates into 73% of all people living with HIV being virally suppressed) treatment cascade goal for 2020 [] and on antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) took place. There were presentations on treatment optimization, acquired drug resistance, care of children and adolescents, laboratory monitoring and diagnostics, implementation challenges, HIV prevention, key populations, vaccine and cure, hepatitis C, mHealth, financing the HIV response and emerging pathogens [].
In addition to oral, mini-oral and poster presentations, early morning Joep Lange research career guidance sessions saw mid-career and senior investigators explain how they got started on a research career and give advice on how to get funded, choose a mentor and get published. Parallel research grantspersonship sessions were presented by ANRS (France Recherche Nord & Sud Sidahepatites); Fogarty International Center, US National Institutes of Health; and EDCTP (European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership).
 
HIV in Cameroon

Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda, opened the conference. Dr JB Elat, Permanent Secretary of the National AIDS Programme, presented an overview of HIV in Cameroon. HIV prevalence in 2011 was 4.3%, with urban populations and women disproportionately affected: 5.6% of women versus 2.9% of men. Compared to the general population, men who have sex with men (MSM) have 8–14× higher (24–44%), truck drivers have 5× higher (16%) and female sex workers (FSW) have 6× higher (36%) HIV prevalence. Clients of FSW account for 36% of new HIV infections annually. After Cameroon’s ART programme began in 2000, HIV prevalence fell by 20% between 2004 and 2011 from 5.5% to 4.3%. Prenatal consultations for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) increased steadily from 2009, with attendance reaching 74% in 2015. Between 2005 and 2015, the number of people on ART increased 10-fold and approximately 7,000 children now receive ART. In 2015, 882,639 Cameroonians were tested for HIV. Cameroon aims to increase access to HIV testing and treatment services, reduce stigma, strengthen supply chains, tailor HIV prevention for key populations and build civil society capacity. Poor retention in care remains a weak link in Cameroon’s progress towards 90-90-90 [].
 
Achieving 90-90-90

Passionate debate presenting opposing viewpoints on 90-90-90 saw pessimists emphasize factors preventing achievement of the Fast-Track Initiative targets: insufficient resources (human, infrastructure, financial), inability to reach all people living with HIV (PLHIV) and retain them in care, risk of emerging drug resistance and international donor fatigue. Optimists highlighted the 17 million PLHIV on ART globally, opportunities to halt the HIV epidemic now and examples of countries close to achieving 73% viral suppression targets. Although achieving 90-90-90 is judged desirable, during the debate more conference participants became convinced the proposed time frame is too short.

The first 90: HIV testing

More than 150 million HIV tests are conducted in low- and middle-income countries annually and although the goal of diagnosing 90% of PLHIV is achievable, testing must be performed with 100% accuracy because of the profound consequences of misdiagnosis at both the individual and population level []. Outreach programmes are necessary for marginalized, stigmatized, often criminalized and hard to reach key populations. Community-based testing can reach healthy people early in their infection and link them to care []. Identifying all HIV+ children and adolescents requires case-finding approaches for chronic HIV survivors, intensified facility-based testing and decentralized and simplified HIV testing at point of care [].

The second 90: ART

The World Health Organization recommends ART be offered immediately to everyone diagnosed with HIV infection, regardless of their CD4+ T-cell count measuring immune status []. Globally, 17 million people (46% of PLHIV) are on ART []. Voluntary licensing is enabling generic companies to provide antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in effective, well tolerated, and quality-assured individual or combination formulations for 100–130 USD per year. Voluntary licensing of drugs such as dolutegravir and tenofovir alafenamide may reduce this cost to 60 USD/year; however, more efficacy and safety data in pregnant women and HIV–TB-coinfected patients are needed []. Robust supply chains are essential to prevent stock-outs and ensure continuity of ART. Fulfilling high-income countries’ commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on overseas development assistance [] can assist resource-limited countries but increasing domestic health-care funding in sub-Saharan Africa to reach the Abuja target of 15% of annual government expenditures being devoted to health will reduce donor dependency and facilitate sustainable programmes []. Building on the global success of generic ART, generic versions of drugs for tuberculosis, cancer and hepatitis B and C could facilitate drug access for people in resource-limited settings around the world at very affordable prices.

The third 90: viral suppression

Tracking viral suppression requires rapid scale-up of viral load monitoring, necessitating improved efficiencies in sample collection, transportation and laboratory performance; timely transmission of results to clinics and patients; and rapid appropriate action []. Treatment retention in Africa at 36 months is estimated at only 65% []. Poor adherence leads to drug resistance [], requiring effective interventions, including mHealth and group delivery, to support retention in care and adherence. Innovations must be anchored in a comprehensive understanding of the multiple barriers facing people on ART, including adolescents who have important retention and adherence challenges.
The WHO recommends that ART scale-up be accompanied by high-quality HIV drug resistance surveillance, achieved by investing in human and laboratory resources, innovative and efficient technical approaches, robust supply chains and quality assurance measures. Political and community commitment is needed to overcome limited laboratory capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and support studies identifying suitable ARV options. These include the ultra-deep pyrosequencing work showing that protease inhibitors and mara-viroc are likely to be effective in young Cameroonian children (the author of this abstract received the Joep Lange award for the top-scoring abstract by an African scientist at the 10th INTEREST Conference) [], as are protease inhibitors in Ugandan children [].
 
HIV prevention

More than 10 million voluntary medical male circumcisions (VMMC) have been performed, with high adult MC prevalence countries moving to establish sustainable VMMC HIV prevention programmes focused on early infant and early adolescent MC [].
PrEP with ARV drugs has achieved regulatory approval in South Africa and Kenya, following WHO guidance recommending PrEP when HIV incidence is 3% or more []. Follow-on studies and demonstration projects of oral PrEP among serodiscordant couples and MSM have shown higher adherence than in trial settings, possibly because people know that they are taking an effective product []. Novel products and delivery options under investigation include injectables that would be taken every 2 to 3 months, vaginal gel and ring formulations, and monoclonal antibodies. PrEP works for anyone experiencing a high risk of HIV exposure during a specific time of his or her life. A debate on whether Africa was ready for PrEP persuaded some who were sure it was ready to wonder whether regulatory, logistical, equity and other issues had all been adequately addressed. Importantly, PrEP implementation requires intensified investment in HIV testing strategies across Africa, which would result in the increased knowledge of serostatus that can improve entry into the 90-90-90 treatment cascade.
 
Vaccine and cure

The search for a vaccine, following the promising results of RV 144 [], includes active and passive approaches to HIV prevention. Clade-specific trials in South Africa and elsewhere are part of the pox-protein public-private partnership (P5) evaluating pox-protein candidates. Hypothesis-generating Phase IIb trials are underway of passive immunisation strategies involving monoclonal antibodies using trivalent and tetravalent vectors to obtain broader coverage against HIV []. Research to understand differences in viral reservoirs with implications for cure strategies has found that Ugandans without HIV infection have increased immune activation and lymph node pathology that resembles early HIV infection among patients in Minnesota, USA []. If they acquire HIV in an environment where life-long exposure to various pathogens already predisposes them to high levels of T-cell activation, they may develop a larger HIV reservoir leading to persistent immune activation, subsequent lymph node fibrosis and reduced immune reconstitution. Pre-existing T-cell activation thus may account for population differences in responsiveness to immune therapy strategies, with fibrosis limiting diffusion of therapeutic agents into lymph nodes where the virus replicates.
 
Key populations

Success in bringing down HIV prevalence among sex workers in Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Namibia highlights data gaps on successful interventions among men involved in sex work, regular partners of female sex workers and girls under 18 years who receive money or goods in exchange for sexual services. Exciting new developments include studies of PrEP use, integration of HIV and sexual and reproductive health services, and use of mobile technology, social media and biometric measures to assist in studying mobile sex work populations. Striking data on the use of heroin, tramadol and other opioids have led to the African Union Plan of Action on Drug Control that recognizes the burden of HIV and hepatitis C among people who inject drugs in Africa. Political barriers to holistic harm reduction remain for illicit drugs and for alcohol, a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties that has been strongly linked to HIV risk in Africa and around the world []. MSM have high HIV risks and continue to be criminalized in many African countries, making it difficult to reach them with services. In eight African countries, between 25 and 65% of these men aged 18–19 years are meeting male sexual partners online [], suggesting that social media and mobile platforms could help increase their access to HIV prevention and treatment.
 
Emerging pathogens – lessons learned for and from HIV

The Ebola epidemic of 2014–2015 and epidemics of re-emerging pathogens, such as Zika and Lassa Fever, have shown that high-quality studies can run alongside the outbreak response, but health-care systems must be strengthened now before more epidemics occur. Designing and running Ebola clinical trials proved challenging in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. In Guinea, a ‘ring vaccination’ trial design was used to evaluate a vaccine candidate, with real-time modifications to take account of the rapidly changing epidemic and logistical issues []. The impact of favipiravir on Ebola virus disease was evaluated in a single arm, proof-of-concept trial that found it well-tolerated but could not draw firm conclusions about efficacy []. Ideally, outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging pathogens should be anticipated and potential drugs and vaccines for them investigated on an ongoing basis so that efficacy trials can be initiated quickly when an outbreak occurs. Engaging stakeholders, including community stakeholders, at all stages of a clinical trial contributes to robust trial design, facilitates trial conduct by addressing rumours and enhancing participant retention, and helps ensure ownership of the results for action []. Addressing ethical issues is key to ensuring that studies are conducted ethically, communities support them and post-trial legacies are assured []. Robust public health infrastructure, appropriate legislation and community involvement were key in containing an Ebola outbreak of 20 cases in Nigeria and subsequent health-care system investments have upgraded disease surveillance, research infrastructure and treatment facilities [].
 
Conclusions

Although ART coverage in sub-Saharan Africa increased from 24% in 2010 to 54% in 2015, reaching a regional total of 10.3 million people [], late diagnosis of HIV infection, loss to follow-up and poor ART adherence contributed to 790,000 people dying of AIDS-related causes in 2014. New adult HIV infections remain a concern: 25% are adolescent girls and young women and more than 20% are from key populations. An estimated 25.5 million people are living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, with women accounting for 56% []. There has been a 48% decline in new HIV infections among children in the 21 Global Plan priority countries [], but 190,000 African children acquired HIV infection in 2014 [].
The 10th INTEREST Conference heard a call for leadership and activism among HIV investigators and physicians to show global solidarity with PLHIV worldwide and to ensure that resources are used effectively. Sub-Saharan Africa loses over 150 billion USD/year through illicit financial flows [], corruption and money laundering []. This money could replace international donations and fund health care throughout the continent. At the closing ceremony, the Yaoundé Declaration [] (Additional file 1) was read out, calling on African governments; UNAIDS; development, bilateral, and multilateral partners; and civil society to adopt urgent and sustained approaches to end HIV by 2030 [,].
 
Acknowledgments

The authors thank Wendy Smith (Wordsmiths International Ltd, Wells, UK) for providing meeting notes that were used as background materials for writing the manuscript. The INTEREST 2016 organizers acknowledge the support of the Ministry of Public Health, Cameroon; the National Institutes of Health and the Fogarty International Center, USA; the ANRS (France Recherche Nord & Sud Sidahepatites); and the following companies: Gilead Sciences, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie, ViiV Healthcare, Roche and Mylan. 

See also

The History of AIDS in Africa
AIDS (tag in our blog)
 
Footnotes

Additional file
Additional file 1: The Yaoundé Declaration can be found at https://www.intmedpress.com/uploads/documents/3939_Hankins_Addfile1.pdf
Disclosure statement
All 12 authors reviewed previous drafts of the manuscript and approve its contents. None of the authors have a conflict of interest, with the exception of CABB of the company Virology Education that provided logistical support for the conference. 
 
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