Cameroon holds meeting on the distribution of essential drugs

Medical personnel from the ten regions of Cameroon are meeting in Yaounde to device a national strategy to ensure the availability of essential medicines. The Secretary of State at the Ministry of Public Health, Alim Hayatou presided at the opening of the two-day workshop. The working session is to device ways of improving on collaboration between the National Centre for the Supply of Essential Medicines (CENAME), the Regional Funds for Health Promotion (FRPS) and public health centres, the main actors in the supply of essential medicines.

CENAME is charged with supplying drugs at the national level to the FRPS who in turn supply them at the regional level to public hospitals and health centres. To overcome obstacles like the shortage in supply relative to demand, the Ministry of Public Health has brought together these actors. Recommendations made at the end of the session will serve in specifying the role of each actor towards a better supply of essential medicines in the country.