AIDS-Free Holidays (VSS) is an innovative and ambitious concept, initiated in 2003 by Mrs. Chantal BIYA, First Lady of Cameroon, UNAIDS Special Ambassador and Founding President of Synergies Africaines. It is the largest national awareness and prevention campaign against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS, specifically targeting adolescents and young people. Its objective is to reduce the number of new STI and HIV infections in this vulnerable population, by encouraging the adoption of healthy and responsible behaviors, facilitating access to prevention and care services, and fighting against social and economic factors that favor the spread of these infections. This campaign is the result of close collaboration between the Ministry of Public Health, through the National AIDS Control Committee (NACC), and Synergies Africaines, a pan-African organization committed to the fight against AIDS and major endemic diseases. It takes place every year during the school and university holiday period, in order to reach as many young people as possible.

AIDS-Free Holidays has already trained more than 10,000 young people in peer education, raised awareness among more than 10,000,000 young people about STIs, HIV/AIDS and other risk factors, tested more than 500,000 young people and made them aware of their serological status. It benefits from the support of around thirty technical and financial partners, sectoral partners, civil society organizations, public and private companies, who support the implementation of this nationwide campaign. AIDS-Free Holidays is a concept that deserves to be praised and supported by all actors involved in the fight against AIDS. It helps protect the health and future of young people, who are the engine of Cameroon's development. It also testifies to the vision and leadership of Mrs. Chantal BIYA, who was able to mobilize the necessary resources and partners to face this scourge. AIDS-Free Holidays is a concept that makes Cameroon proud and inspires other African countries.