Cameroon intensifies efforts to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases

The Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda has chaired a meeting to launch a project to control and eliminate the five recurrent Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Cameroon. The project dubbed “Countdown” is a UK-funded implementation research programme which is operational in three other African countries – Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria. Minister Andre Mama Fouda expressed appreciation to the Ministry’s partners for designing the project.

The Minister stated that Cameroon has registered progress in the fight against NTDs but maintained much work still has to be done. The Country Manager of Countdown, Professor Louis-Albert Tchuem-Tchuente revealed that new methods are being applied to intensify the fight. Some of these methods included the treatment of infected pre-school age children and adults, sensitisation on improved hygiene and disinfecting of risk zones. 

The Programme Director, Russell Stothard for his part assured the Cameroon government that his team of medical parasitologists are determine to control the spread of NTDs and eliminate them where possible. Neglected Tropical Diseases are a varied group of infectious diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical regions. They are responsible for a huge percentage of ill health and physical disabilities worldwide. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified 17 of such diseases worldwide with 10 predominant in Africa and Cameroon.