Background: Family Planning (FP) promotion and services are often focused on women, but nonetheless men have an important role to play also. Engaging men in family planning programs and services has the potential to improve the use of FP methods, increase healthy pregnancy timing and child spacing, and improve on the overall health of the community. It may also facilitate decision-making by men and their partners in reproductive health matters that include FP. Objectives: The aim of this study is twofold; to 1) determine the risk factors associated with male involvement in the choice of FP methods; and 2) describe the perceived barriers to male involvement in family planning. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, community-based study among men in the Buea Health District (BHD). The multistage sampling technique was used to select four health areas and twenty communities. Eligible participants were selected by consecutive and convenient sampling and were administered a structured questionnaire to measure their involvement in the choice of FP methods. Socio-demographic and reproductive characteristics of participants were obtained; and so were communication factors and barriers in FP. The logistic regression model was used to determine the factors associated with male involvement. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: A total of 292 men participated in this study, more than half (57.2%) of whom were involved in the choice of FP methods. Factors affecting the choice of FP methods were men's age ((adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR)=0.35; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.12-0.86; p=0.042)), knowledge level (aOR=2.62; 95% CI: 1.50-4.58; p=0.001), educational level (aOR=2.45; 95% CI: 1.10-5.48; p=0.029), partners level of education (aOR=2.37; 95% CI: 1.12-5.02; p=0.024) and birth spacing between partners last two deliveries (aOR=3.14; 95% CI: 1.48-6.68; p=0.003). The identified barriers to male involvement were financial constraints (lack of money), conception difficulties, inadequate information on FP methods, tradition, unskilled healthcare providers, weight gain by partners, and desire for large family size. Conclusion: This study revealed that men in the BHD were highly involved in FP. Their age, level of education, FP knowledge level, partner's level of education, and birth spacing between partner's last two deliveries were among the factors that influenced male involvement in FP. Identified barriers to male involvement in FP methods were lack of money to pay for FP meth-

Background: Success of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test-and-treat (T&T) strategy requires high antiretroviral (ART) uptake and retention. However, low ART uptake and retention continue to be reported in ART programs. This study assessed ART uptake and retention outcomes of the HIV T&T strategy in three HIV clinics in Cameroon.Methods: A retrospective chart review was done for 423 patients who initiated HIV care within a period of three months prior to the implementation of the HIV T&T strategy, and for another 423 patients who initiated HIV care within a three-month period following the HIV T&T strategy implementation. For each group, sociodemographic, ART uptake and retention data were collected. Chi square and Student T tests were used to test for differences proportions and means between the two groups at p <0.05 and 95% confidence interval.Results: The mean ages (years) in the pre-T&T and the T&T groups were 39.73 and 39.72, and the proportion of female were 65.85% and 65.08% respectively. ART uptake proportion was higher amongst those enrolled under the T&T strategy (98.08% vs 95.39%, p=0.02). A greater proportion of the patients in the T&T group initiated ART within 2 weeks following HIV diagnosis (55.84% vs 48.17%, p=0.03). However, ART retention at 24th month was lower in the T&T group (78.83% vs. 85.79%, p=0.01).Conclusions: The findings suggest that the T&T strategy is associated with higher ART uptake, earlier ART initiation, and lower ART retention. This underscores a need for strategies to improve ART retention under the HIV T&T guidelines.

Objectives: This study explores the clinical profiles and factors associated with COVID-19 in Cameroon. Research design and methods: In this prospective cohort study, we followed patients admitted for suspicion of COVID-19 at Djoungolo Hospital between 01st April and 31st July 2020. Patients were categorised by age groups and disease severity: mild (symptomatic without clinical signs of pneumonia pneumonia), moderate (with clinical signs of pneumonia without respiratory distress) and severe cases (clinical signs of pneumonia and respiratory distress not requiring invasive ventilation). Demographic information and clinical features were summarised. Multivariable analysis was performed to predict risk. Results: A total of 323 patients were admitted during the study period; 262 were confirmed cases of COVID-19 by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Among the confirmed cases, the male group aged 40 to 49 years (13.9%) was predominant. Disease severity ranged from mild (77%; N=204) to moderate (15%; N=40) to severe (7%; N=18); the case fatality rate was 1% (N=4). Dysgusia (46%; N=111) and hyposmia/anosmia (39%; N=89) were common features of COVID-19. Nearly one-third of patients had comorbidities (29%; N=53), of which hypertension was the most common (20%; N=48). Participation in a mass gathering (OR=5.47; P=0.03) was a risk factor for COVID-19. Age groups 60 to 69 (OR=7.41; P=0.0001), 50 to 59 (OR=4.09; P=0.03), 40 to 49 (OR=4.54; P=0.01), male gender (OR=2.53; P=0.04), diabetes (OR= 4.05; P= 0.01), HIV infection (OR=5.57; P=0.03), lung disease (OR= 6.29; P=0.01), dyspnoea (OR=3.70; P=0.008) and fatigue (OR=3.35; P=0.02) significantly predicted COVID-19 severity. Conclusion: Unlike many high-income settings, most COVID-19 cases in this study were benign with low fatality. Such findings may guide public health decision-making.