After fire in Higher Education, national week on autism launched

Under the high patronage of Cameroon’s First Lady and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Social Inclusion, Chantal Biya, the Minister of Higher Education, Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo, in collaboration with the Ministries of Public Health, Employment and Vocational Training, Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Social Affairs and Basic Education and in partnership with the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Lions of Cameroon International, would Monday March 31 preside over an event to launch the national week on Autism with focus on this year’s edition on improving the various health service providers specialized in autism.

Meantime, the 7th edition of the World Autism Day comes up April 2, 2014 with an official event to be organized for the day at the Yaounde Conference Centre and in Douala from April 3 to 4.

The launching comes a couple of days after fire destroyed the conference room of that Ministry last Friday. The fire that broke out in the afternoon started at the conference hall of the Ministry of Higher Education and was quickly put out following the prompt and heavy deployment of elements of the fire fighting brigade.

Work was interrupted as access to the building was highly restricted forcing workers of the five Ministries that are lodged in the Ministerial building No. 2, that is, Forestry and Wildlife; Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development; State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure; Higher Education as well as two departments of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to stay out of their offices during most of the day.

As investigations continue to determine the cause of the fire which is still to be established, officials of the fire brigade say at least three floors affected by smoke from the fire would remain sealed.