VIHeillir: improving the health of seniors living with HIV/AIDS

With the support of L’Initiative, the VIHeillir project has entered its second phase. Its goal is to address comorbidities such as diabetes, hepatitis, and hypertension threatening the health of people living with HIV aged 50 and older.

One in four people living with HIV (PLHIV) is now aged 50 or older. Thanks to antiretroviral treatments, their life expectancy is nearly equivalent to that of the general population. However, as they age, they face new health issues in addition to HIV, such as hypertension, diabetes, hepatitis B and C, and precancerous cervical lesions. Because of this, they require integrated care pathways that address their various health conditions.

Managing comorbidities

Launched in 2020, the VIHeillir project focuses on an integrated health approach to address the social and medical needs of seniors living with HIV in Cameroon and Senegal. In concrete terms, the program integrates the management of age-related conditions into routine medical consultations for people living with HIV and trains healthcare professionals in this area.

VIHeillir 2—taking it one step further

The second phase of the project was launched in May 2024 and builds on the lessons learned from the first years in terms of prevention and treatment of comorbidities. The goal is now to take it one step further so that this epidemiological reality is fully incorporated into Cameroon and Senegal’s national strategies. VIHeillir 2 focuses on several areas—decentralizing those clinical activities which will be tested and adapted to rural or semi-rural contexts, consolidating the community approach, and advocating for the sustainability of actions.