Cameroon has launched a three-year pandemic preparedness program backed by nearly $160 million, with the government and development partners seeking to strengthen the country’s ability to detect and contain disease outbreaks before they escalate.

The financing package includes a $23.5 million grant from the Pandemic Fund, $112.3 million in co-financing from development partners and $24 million from the Cameroonian government. According to the Ministry of Public Health and the Pandemic Fund, the money will be used to reinforce disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, emergency response systems and health workforce training under the One Health approach.

The program comes as Cameroon faces multiple public health risks linked to population displacement, regional insecurity, natural disasters and increasing human interaction with wildlife, factors that heighten the country’s exposure to epidemics before they are detected and contained.

A major part of the project will focus on improving surveillance. The government plans to strengthen monitoring at key entry points, establish seven regional call centers and digitalize community-based surveillance in more than 40 municipalities.

Antimicrobial resistance monitoring will also be expanded through 42 sentinel sites. The program is intended to improve the exchange of information between public health, veterinary and environmental services, allowing authorities to identify emerging threats more quickly.

These investments are aligned with the global 7-1-7 target, under which a suspected outbreak should be detected within seven days, reported within one day and followed by an effective response within seven additional days.

Laboratory capacity will receive substantial support. Fifty laboratories are expected to improve their quality-control and diagnostic systems, while three national reference laboratories will be upgraded to meet international ISO standards. The project will also strengthen the transport of biological samples and expand genomic surveillance for priority diseases, including cholera, meningitis and hemorrhagic fevers.

Emergency response capacity is another focus. Ten regional Public Health Emergency Operations Centers will be equipped and activated, while integrated rapid response teams will be trained to intervene during epidemics and other health emergencies.

The program will also train epidemiologists, veterinary specialists, community health workers, local government officials and environmental health professionals. It is expected to improve coordination among the institutions involved in outbreak prevention and response, as well as the management of funds and equipment assigned to health security.

According to the Pandemic Fund, successful implementation will result in stronger early warning systems, upgraded laboratory networks, enhanced emergency response capacity and improved collaboration across sectors. The program draws on lessons from Cameroon’s response to COVID-19, cholera, Mpox and other outbreaks while reinforcing the country’s long-term health security framework.

Source: Business in Cameroon

Violence and disruptions targeting healthcare services declined in Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions in 2025, but medical workers continue to face kidnappings, assaults, arrests, and extortion that threaten access to care, according to a report published on July 10, 2026, by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC).

The report recorded 22 incidents affecting healthcare services in 2025, down from 30 in 2024 and 25 in 2023. The improvement comes as fighting between separatist groups and government forces approaches its tenth year. Although the overall number of attacks has fallen, insecurity continues to undermine healthcare delivery in the regions most affected by the conflict.

“A total of 22 incidents of violence against or obstruction of healthcare were reported in the Anglophone regions in 2025, compared with 30 in 2024 and 25 in 2023,” the report, Cameroon: Violence Against Health Care in Conflict 2025, states.

Uneven progress across departments

The decline was not evenly distributed across the two regions. According to the SHCC, incidents decreased in parts of Mezam and Momo in the Northwest but rose slightly in Boyo and Bui. In the Southwest, attacks on healthcare services continued in the Fako department.

The report documented at least 16 healthcare workers kidnapped in nine separate incidents in the Northwest during 2025. While the number of victims matched that recorded in 2024, the kidnappings occurred across more incidents. In 2023, five healthcare workers were abducted in six incidents.

“At least 16 healthcare workers were reportedly abducted in nine incidents in the Northwest Region in 2025, compared with 16 in five incidents in 2024 and five in six incidents in 2023,” the SHCC said. Most kidnappings were reported in the Bui and Ngoketunjia departments, whereas Mezam had recorded more cases in 2024. The shift suggests the threat has moved geographically rather than disappeared.

Ransoms of up to CFA10 million

According to the report, separatists and unidentified armed attackers intercepted healthcare workers at illegal checkpoints while they were traveling to remote communities. Others were abducted from health facilities or their homes. Some were reportedly accused of collaborating with opposing forces, while others were released after ransoms ranging from CFA5 million to CFA10 million were paid.

“Some kidnapped healthcare workers were released after ransoms ranging from CFA5 million to CFA10 million were paid to their captors. Others were abducted and accused by their captors of collaborating with opposing forces,” the coalition said.

Healthcare workers were also reportedly assaulted for refusing to treat fighters or to pay levies imposed by armed groups. Ambulances were likewise subjected to extortion during lockdowns declared by separatists.

Healthcare workers also arrested by police

The report documents not only abuses attributed to armed groups but also arrests carried out by Cameroonian security forces. Between May and June 2025, nine healthcare workers were reportedly arrested in six incidents, compared with 19 people in four incidents in 2024 and seven people in four incidents in 2023.

The arrests were reported in Fako in the Southwest and in the Boyo, Momo, and Donga-Mantung departments in the Northwest. Those detained were reportedly suspected of collaborating with separatist groups or providing them with medical treatment. “The Cameroonian police also raided health facilities in Fako department while searching for opposition fighters, disrupting the delivery of healthcare,” the coalition reported.

Fragile improvement

The decline in the total number of incidents is an encouraging sign, but it has not been enough to secure healthcare services in the long term. In the affected areas, kidnappings, ransom demands, accusations of collaboration, and incursions into medical facilities continue to create a climate of fear for healthcare workers. Caught between the demands of separatist groups and the suspicions of security forces, medical staff continue to operate in an environment where maintaining medical neutrality remains difficult. That pressure risks driving more healthcare workers away, limiting travel to isolated communities, and further reducing access to care for civilians.

The decline recorded in 2025 therefore reflects a statistical improvement rather than a return to normal conditions. As long as healthcare facilities, ambulances, and medical personnel remain exposed to violence from all sides of the conflict, the Anglophone crisis will continue to be measured not only by the fighting itself, but also by interrupted medical services and patients left without care.

Source: Sbbc

Cameroon has achieved two of the United Nations’ “95-95-95” HIV goals, according to new data released by the Ministry of Public Health.

The UN targets for 2030 are 95 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed are on antiretroviral treatment, and 95 percent of those on treatment have a suppressed viral load.

Results from the National Survey on the Impact of HIV in Cameroon, conducted between September 2024 and January 2025, show that the country has passed the second and third benchmarks.

According to the results of the survey released on Tuesday, 96.4 percent of people diagnosed with HIV are receiving antiretroviral treatment, and 95 percent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression.

The first target remains a challenge, with only 77.1 percent of adults living with HIV knowing their status.

The survey estimates national HIV prevalence at 3 percent among people aged 15 and over. This represents roughly 501,000 people living with HIV. The annual incidence rate stands at 0.13 percent, or about 21,000 new infections each year.

Health officials said the survey covered nearly 15,000 households and included interviews with about 27,000 adults nationwide.

Source: Xinhaunet

Ahead of World Blood Donor Day on June 14, Cameroon has renewed efforts to address a severe blood shortage that continues to challenge the country’s healthcare system.

In Yaoundé, the National Blood Transfusion Center (CNTS) has launched a special blood donation campaign with support from the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon. The initiative aims to attract new donors and encourage regular volunteers to continue donating.

The campaign aligns with this year’s global theme: “Give Blood, Give Hope: Together We Save Lives.” Behind the message lies a pressing healthcare need. Hospitals across the country require blood products every day to treat road accident victims, women facing complications during childbirth, children suffering from severe anemia, patients with severe malaria, and people undergoing surgery.

The challenge remains substantial. Cameroon needs about 400,000 units of blood each year to meet national demand. In 2025, the National Blood Transfusion Center collected 186,500 units, up from 147,034 units in 2022. As a result, national blood coverage increased from 37% to 47% over three years. Despite that progress, the country still faces an annual shortfall of more than 200,000 units.

Regional disparities add to the challenge. According to CNTS data, the Center, Littoral, and East regions achieve blood coverage rates of around 60%, while the South, North, and Far North regions remain below 30%. These gaps leave some hospitals more vulnerable to shortages, particularly in areas where blood collection campaigns are less frequent or more difficult to organize.

For blood transfusion specialists, the priority extends beyond increasing donation volumes. They seek to build a culture of voluntary, regular, and unpaid blood donation, which is considered the safest model for maintaining a stable and secure blood supply.

Such an approach also reduces dependence on replacement donations, often requested from patients’ relatives during emergencies.

Blood safety remains another key concern. According to CNTS, the share of blood units showing infectious risk factors declined from 9% in 2024 to 8.1% in 2025. The improvement reflects stronger quality-control procedures, biological screening of donations, staff training, and greater standardization across blood banks.

The campaign in Yaoundé also forms part of a broader framework of health cooperation between Cameroon and the United States. In December 2025, the two countries signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding covering HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and global health security.

With World Blood Donor Day only days away, health authorities hope to turn awareness into action. For Cameroon’s healthcare system, every unit collected helps narrow a still-significant gap between supply and demand. For patients, it can mean the difference between a medical emergency successfully treated and a life lost because blood was unavailable.

Source: Sbbc

Cameroonian government has issued an urgent plea to armed separatist groups in the country’s English-speaking regions, urging them to allow healthcare and humanitarian workers safe access to communities heavily affected by a growing Mpox outbreak.

The viral disease, historically known as monkeypox, was first confirmed in the conflict-hit Southwest region. It has since rapidly penetrated major economic hubs, including the coastal economic capital of Douala and Bafoussam, a vital commercial city in the West region.

Public anxiety has mounted significantly after authorities revealed that truck and bus drivers were among the first cluster of confirmed patients. Because these drivers form the backbone of the national supply chain, health officials fear the virus is actively moving along Cameroon’s primary transport networks.

Awa Fonka Augustine, the Governor of the West region, confirmed that three of the five drivers identified in Bafoussam have already been tracked, isolated, and placed under specialized care. Local authorities are also warning travelers and rural communities to exercise extreme caution when handling, purchasing, or consuming bushmeat, advising strict decontamination of transport vehicles with soap and water if wild game has been carried inside.

Source: ChannelAfrica

UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called Saturday for more international help to combat the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in DR Congo as he arrived in the eastern province worst-hit by a severe outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) director general told reporters in Bunia, capital of Ituri province, that the international community was helping the DR Congo government cope with the outbreak.

But he added that “community ownership” was also needed – including overcoming “mistrust” and false information – and an increase in financial support from other countries.

“We are here to discuss with the community, to see how the response is running and if there are challenges to help,” he said.

“You’re not alone in this. We’re here, we’re with you, and we will see this through together,” he told people in Ituri at a press conference later.

The highly contagious haemorrhagic fever is already present in three eastern DR Congo provinces and in neighbouring Uganda.

There have been at least 1,077 suspected cases of Ebola in DR Congo since the outbreak was declared on May 15, including 246 deaths, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday. There have been nine confirmed infections in Uganda, including one death.

The true reach of the outbreak in DR Congo, which is thought to have been circulating before it was detected, is likely to be much wider, the WHO has warned.

The vast impoverished central African country – whose mineral-rich east has been plagued by three decades of conflict – has limited capacity to conduct laboratory tests to confirm cases.

Conflict and Ebola

Uganda closed its border with DR Congo this week and ordered a 21-day quarantine for anyone arriving from that country.

On Friday, the WHO announced that a patient had recovered on Wednesday, left hospital and was discharged into the community after two negative tests. WHO’s Anaïs Legand said it marked a “first” among patients who had been confirmed Ebola carriers in the current outbreak.

Ebola, which spreads through close contact and bodily fluids, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.

The deadliest outbreak in DR Congo claimed nearly 2,300 lives out of 3,500 cases between 2018 and 2020.

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has said of the latest outbreak that “never has an Ebola epidemic recorded so many cases in the first days after it being declared”.

It said there were not enough medical experts deployed in the afflicted region.

State services are largely lacking in Ituri province, where access is hindered by insecurity due to the presence of armed groups and militias.

“There is experience in this country and under the government’s leadership, and especially with community ownership, we can stop it,” said Tedros.

“These are the ingredients which are important, of course, with the support from the international community as well. So the issue is in our hands.

“If we do our best, it can be stopped.”

Vaccine search

No vaccine or specific treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is behind the current outbreak.

But the head of the CDC Africa said on Thursday that a vaccine should be ready by the end of the year.

On Saturday, the WHO said its experts had considered several potential vaccines that were “promising enough” to warrant evaluation in clinical trials.

“In the meantime, our priority is to stop transmission with tools that we have used for decades of Ebola responses, which include disease surveillance, rapid testing and diagnosis, contact tracing, isolation and care for patients, infection prevention and control, community engagement, and safe and dignified burials,” it added in a statement.

North and South Kivu provinces, that have also recorded Ebola cases in the outbreak, have been plagued by near continuous violence for three decades.

Much of the affected regions are controlled by the Rwanda-backed armed group M23 which has been battling government forces.

Millions of people have fled the fighting and are living in displacement camps with poor hygiene conditions.

Nearly a million of those displaced are in Ituri province, where the prospect of the epidemic spreading throughout the camps has sparked alarm.

“If Ebola comes, we’ll be wiped out as we’re packed like sardines,” Dorcas Mapenzi said at the Kingonze camp on the outskirts of Bunia.

Source: AFP

An acute blood shortage is unfolding in Cameroon. At the Yaoundé Central Hospital, the blood bank has reached critical levels. In a message relayed on March 24 via its Facebook page, the hospital reported “near-zero stock” and urged the public to donate blood urgently to save lives.

However, the pressure extends beyond a single facility. The national bilingual daily Cameroon Tribune reported that several healthcare facilities across the country have faced blood shortages for weeks. This situation raises concern in a health system where transfusions remain essential for emergencies, childbirth, severe anemia, and surgical procedures.

Structural Supply Gap Persists

Cameroon estimates its annual blood needs at around 400,000 units. However, collection levels remain significantly below this target. The report states that “less than a quarter of this demand is covered,” although 165,708 units were collected in 2024, representing more than 40% of estimated needs. The underlying conclusion remains unchanged: supply remains insufficient.

Historical data confirm this fragility. In 2022, authorities collected 147,034 units, or about 36.8% of national requirements. A large share of this supply came from so-called replacement donors—typically relatives of patients—rather than regular voluntary donors, which the World Health Organization recommends as the safest and most sustainable source.

This structural weakness stems largely from low participation in voluntary, unpaid blood donation. Several barriers persist, including limited awareness, the absence of a strong donation culture, and lingering fears, particularly concerns about contracting or transmitting diseases. As a result, blood banks struggle to maintain adequate reserves and rely heavily on emergency, case-by-case donations.

Efforts to Reverse the Trend

Health authorities are attempting to organize a more structured response. The National Blood Transfusion Center has developed a strategy to promote voluntary, unpaid donation as the cornerstone of a safer and more sustainable system.

Cameroon already operates a relatively extensive network, with nearly 473 healthcare facilities performing blood transfusions as of 2022, according to official data. Some facilities have received equipment from the WHO under the National Blood Transfusion System Strengthening Project (PRESYNATS), financed by the Islamic Development Bank.

In addition, authorities have validated a new national strategic plan for 2025–2030. The plan aims to overhaul the transfusion system by strengthening governance, improving blood product safety, enhancing hemovigilance, and decentralizing the CNTS. Authorities ultimately aim to achieve self-sufficiency in safe blood products.

The WHO recommends that countries collect the equivalent of 1% to 3% of their population in blood units annually. Cameroon has set a target of 400,000 units, or about 1.65% of its population. However, a significant gap persists between this ambition and actual collection volumes.

In this context, appeals for blood donations continue to increase. Behind the statistics, the stakes remain high: each unit of blood can save multiple patients, and each donor represents an additional chance for those in need.

Beyond short-term campaigns, specialists emphasize a deeper challenge. Cameroon must build a culture of regular, voluntary, and unpaid donation. Only this shift can ensure a sustainable blood supply and guarantee safer and more equitable access to transfusions nationwide.

Source: Sbbc