“Le baobab est tombé.” “The baobab has fallen,” was Francine Nganhale’s post against a black backdrop on her Facebook page on 30 April 2020.

Her husband, Charles Domingo Noubissi, had died.

Many couldn’t believe it, because Mr Noubissi had such a fighting spirit. He had health problems, but rarely missed a meeting to advocate for the response to HIV.

As President of the Board of Directors of the Cameroonian Network of Associations of People Living with HIV, he became a pillar of the AIDS response in his country and across the region.   

We will miss him dearly and thank him for his years of leadership and commitment and for being a champion of the community-led response.

UNAIDS had the pleasure of interviewing Charles Noubissi and his wife in 2019, showcasing proud people living with HIV. Here is that story:

The right to disclose your own status