In the shadow of nearly nine years of war in Cameroon, the line between professional medical practice and armed conflict has grown dangerously thin. What should be a neutral commitment to saving lives have, for many healthcare workers, become grounds for suspicion, arrest, and abuse. The conflict is pitting the separatist movement of Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) against the government of 93-year-old Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982. The conflict has created an environment in which doctors, nurses and many other health professionals are increasingly forced to choose between their ethical duty and their personal safety.

In July 2020, Cameroon Concord News interviewed Peter Ngute in Kumba and Mary Tata in Bamenda, both practicing medics who had been arrested and detained for five months by Cameroonian security forces. In 2022, we spoke with many healthcare professionals and nurses, among them Enow Arrey Lucy who was harassed by government authorities for doing their jobs. Authorities accused them of aiding and abetting separatist fighters in Kumbo and other parts of the two English parts of the country. All were ultimately released without charge. However, they all allege that during their detention they were subjected to torture and inhumane treatment. Peter said, “were punished not for taking up arms, but for treating wounded individuals who arrived at their facilities. And this cannot be right because we are only doing our jobs”.

Their accounts mirror a broader pattern documented by Amnesty International, which reports longstanding and serious human rights violations committed by government security forces, militias, and armed groups in the Anglophone regions during the ongoing conflict. These violations include unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and torture. Within this climate of repression, healthcare workers have become particularly vulnerable. Both Médecins Sans Frontières and Human Rights Watch have documented cases in which medical personnel were accused of aiding combatants, detained on terrorism-related charges and harassed simply for carrying out their professional duties.

The legal framework protecting them is unambiguous. Cameroon ratified the Geneva Conventions in 1963, along with the First and Second Additional Protocols in 1984 and Protocol III in 2021. Under international humanitarian law, medical professionals must be permitted to treat the wounded and sick without discrimination. Medical neutrality is not optional, it is a binding obligation. Yet multiple testimonies suggest that, in practice, healthcare workers are being criminalised for adhering to that very principle.

Cameroon Concord News has gathered additional disturbing accounts. Dr. Tita Augustine, Susan Ndi, a radiologist, and nurse Adeline Nzouepet Sah are among several healthcare professionals who describe their lives as having been irreversibly altered after being accused of supporting separatist fighters. Arrests, threats, and intimidation have followed allegations that stem solely from the provision of medical care. Their experiences point to a troubling pattern upon which impartial treatment is increasingly equated with complicity.

Despite repeated requests for comment, authorities in Yaoundé have declined to respond to questions from Cameroon Concord News. Security forces have reportedly justified detentions by alleging that certain healthcare providers are supporting terrorism. However, such accusations raise fundamental questions about whether the state is conflating medical duty with political allegiance.

The persistent targeting of medics reflects a broader and deeply troubling reality in a conflict that has claimed more than 9,000 lives. When doctors and nurses are detained, intimidated, or tortured, entire communities lose access to essential and lifesaving care. The erosion of medical neutrality not only violates international law but also deepens civilian suffering.

The cases of Adeline Nzouepet Sah, Dr Tita Augustine and Susan Ndi, among many underscore the urgent need for international scrutiny, credible investigations, and accountability mechanisms. Without meaningful protection for healthcare professionals, the humanitarian cost of the conflict will continue to rise among those who are only stated offence is saving lives.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

Cameroon has recorded further progress in its fight against HIV/AIDS, according to results from the second Cameroon Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (Camphia), released on February 2, by Public Health Minister Malachie Manaouda. Conducted between September 2024 and January 2025, the survey updates key epidemiological indicators and assesses the effectiveness of the national response.

The study estimates annual HIV incidence at 0.15% among people aged 15 to 49, down from 0.24% in 2017. In absolute terms, this corresponds to around 21,000 new infections each year nationwide.

The overall decline, however, conceals a persistent gender gap. Incidence stands at 0.24% among women, compared with just 0.06% among men, meaning women face a risk four times higher. The continued feminization of the epidemic remains one of the main challenges for public health authorities.

More than 500,000 people living with HIV

HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 to 49 is estimated at 2.6%, down from 3.4% in 2017. Across the general population, this represents about 503,000 adults aged 15 and over living with HIV. Gender disparities remain pronounced, with prevalence at 3.6% among women versus 1.6% among men.

Camphia data show that women account for roughly 75% of new infections. The epidemic also displays strong regional contrasts. Prevalence is around 1.5% in the North and Far North regions, but reaches up to 4.6% in the Centre region outside Yaoundé, indicating higher rates beyond major urban centers.

Another key finding relates to viral suppression, a measure of treatment effectiveness. Among people aged 55 and over living with HIV, about 95% have suppressed viral loads, reflecting strong treatment outcomes. Results are less encouraging among younger groups. Viral suppression stands at 53.7% among adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24, and 50.4% among men aged 25 to 34.

These gaps point to ongoing challenges in access to care, treatment adherence, and medical follow-up among younger populations, despite their higher exposure risk. The Ministry of Public Health says it plans to intensify community-based testing, with a focus on women, adolescents, and young people identified as the most vulnerable groups.

Authorities link the next phase of the response to broader health system reforms, including the rollout of universal health coverage and stronger engagement with international partners such as the Global Fund and UNDP. Cameroon’s objective remains to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections for 2021–2023, extended with projections to 2030, aims to accelerate prevention efforts, reduce new infections, eliminate mother-to-child transmission, and improve long-term quality of life for people living with HIV. Achieving these targets will require sustained investment, improved coordination, and deeper community involvement.

Source: Sbbc

Cameroon loses nearly 10,000 newborns every year due to a severe lack of incubators and trained paediatric staff. The problem is especially acute in conflict-affected regions like the Northwest, where hospitals such as Bamenda Regional Hospital operate far below required capacity—only six incubators for nearly 20 babies, many of whom are pre-term and vulnerable to infections when forced to share equipment.

Mission hospitals face similar shortages. Mbingo Baptist Hospital, one of the country’s top referral centers, runs on just four incubators, a situation worsened by the Anglophone Crisis and COVID-19, which drastically reduced patient access. Nationally, Cameroon records high child mortality: nearly 90,000 low-birth-weight babies are born annually, and about 10,000 die from preventable causes. The country’s under-five mortality rate remains far above global averages.

Experts say the crisis is driven by chronic underfunding. Cameroon allocates only around 4% of its national budget to health, far below the 15% Abuja Declaration benchmark. Despite incubators being relatively affordable, most hospitals lack them, and paediatric specialists are also in short supply—only about 200 paediatricians serve 15 million children, with many doctors leaving the country for better conditions.

Efforts to improve the situation are emerging. MP Peter Njume has launched a Parliamentary Caucus on Health Financing to push for increased domestic funding. Meanwhile, a coalition led by Professor Pius Tih and the African Children’s Healthcare Fund is working to build Cameroon’s first dedicated paediatric hospital, which would include modern neonatal care equipment and specialist staff.

With children making up nearly half of Cameroon’s population, experts warn that expanding paediatric services is urgent if the country hopes to reach universal health coverage by 2030.

Source: Trendsafrica

A group of Cameroonian nurses in the Federal Republic of Germany have set up the Cameroonian Nurses Association (CNA) to help carry out their valuable work.

The organization, which will be inaugurated this Saturday, comprises registered nurses working in Germany from Cameroon.

There is a huge number of Cameroonian nurses in Germany at the moment and many are based in the North Rhein Westphalia region.

Cameroon Concord News understands that the group was established to unite nurses of Cameroonian origin under one umbrella and to promote excellence in healthcare, professional development and community well-being.

The Cameroonian Nurses Association (CNA) also strives to provide nursing support, share vital health information, and encourage healthy lifestyles within communities.

Through collaboration with institutions in Cameroon and Germany, CNA aims to enhance nursing education and create pathways for Cameroonian nurses aspiring to build successful careers abroad, while contributing to improved healthcare standards at home and beyond.

The founding members are experienced healthcare professionals who are seeking to bring Cameroonian nurses together to promote collaboration, mutual support, and professional growth.

The Saturday 20 maiden event beginning at 4 pm prompt will be hosted at Talent Werkstatt, Oberhausenerstr 192 in Mulheim Styrum.

By Chi Prudence Asong in Mulheim

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a new outbreak of the Ebola virus, which has killed 15 people since the end of August, the health minister said Thursday.

The new outbreak is in central Kasai province, Samuel Roger Kamba told reporters in the capital Kinshasa.

The last outbreak of Ebola in the vast central African nation was three years ago and killed six people.

Twenty-eight suspected cases have been recorded, according to provisional figures, with the first case reported on August 20 in a 34-year-old pregnant woman who was admitted to hospital.

“It’s the 16th outbreak recorded in our country,” Kamba said.

First identified in 1976 and thought to have crossed over from bats, Ebola is a deadly viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, causing severe bleeding and organ failure.

The deadliest outbreak in the DRC – whose population numbers more than 100 million – killed nearly 2,300 people between 2018 and 2020.

Six strains of Ebola exist.

Source: France 24

Lawmakers in Cameroon are set to review a draft bill on organ donation, collection, and transplantation, as part of government efforts to address growing health challenges linked to organ failure.

The proposed law, presented to the National Assembly today, aims to “fill the existing legal vacuum and create better prospects for people in need of biological material transplants in Cameroon,” according to the explanatory note.

The government highlights that organ harvesting and transplantation procedures are on the rise, particularly among patients with kidney failure. Official figures show that 2.5 million people are currently undergoing dialysis in Cameroon, including 700,000 in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé.

By legislating on organ donation and collection, the government hopes to address three key challenges: closing the legal gap, offering a long-term solution for kidney failure, and reducing public spending on dialysis centers.

The bill points out that kidney transplants can offer a permanent solution for end-stage renal failure at a significantly lower cost for both patients and the public treasury.

A legal framework is increasingly important as Cameroon has made progress in organ transplants. “To date, kidney harvesting and transplants are being carried out at the Yaoundé General Hospital, with 14 successful cases recorded since the first operation,” the government stated.

Source: Sbbc

The number of people killed in the latest cholera outbreak in Angola has risen to 201, the country’s Health Ministry announced.

A total of 5,574 people have been infected since early January, the ministry said in a press release on Friday.

Cholera cases have been reported in 13 of Angola’s 21 provinces. The outbreak originated in the capital province of Luanda, which has recorded the highest number of cases, followed by the neighboring provinces of Bengo and Icolo e Bengo.

Cameroon’s healthcare system faces a shortage of 68,000 personnel, Public Health Minister Manaouda Malachie recently told lawmakers. This shortage, the minister said, prevents the country from meeting World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

The government official made this revelation before members of the Finance Committee of the National Assembly while defending the Public Health Ministry’s budget for the 2025 fiscal year.

Pressed by lawmakers to explain the shortage of medical staff in healthcare facilities, the minister emphasized the “need to recruit healthcare personnel in light of the scarcity of doctors and that, in accordance with the workforce management plan, recruitment is carried out with consideration of its financial sustainability for the state,” as noted in the committee’s report.

He nonetheless reassured that “efforts are being made to ensure that every locality has healthcare personnel.” Moreover, Manaouda Malachie informed the deputies that “given the sensitivity of the public health sector, a massive healthcare personnel recruitment project is underway. This will eventually significantly reduce the deficit.” However, similar promises had been made in the past.

Four years ago, in December 2021, at the same hearing, Manaouda Malachie acknowledged a deficit of 55,000 healthcare workers. He requested a budget line for the following year to “enhance the availability of quality human resources in healthcare facilities, develop a new human resources development plan, and engage in advocacy and social dialogue to improve working conditions for healthcare personnel.” Yet, by the minister’s own admission, with the current deficit of 68,000 personnel, the gap has widened by 13,000 since 2021.

According to the Cameroon Employers’ Association, Cameroonian doctors, along with teachers, are among the professional categories most likely to emigrate to Canada. An estimated 6,000 of them left the country between April and August 2024.

Source: Sbbc