Cameroon to strengthen river blindness prevention

The Director of Africa’s Onchocerciasis Control Progamme was at the Ministry of Public Health on April 29, 2014.

The Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda, granted audience to visiting Director of Onchocerciasis Control Progamme (APOC) in Africa, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Roungou, on Monday April 29, 2014 in Yaounde. Speaking to journalist after the brief audience, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Roungou said the purpose of his visit was to thank the Minister of Public Health because he was one of the ministers of health who appreciated the work APOC has been doing over the years.

Also, Minister André Mama Fouda asked during the regional committee meeting that the mandate of APOC be extended and added to other health programmes such as that of the elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis and the support for other neglected tropical diseases.

Dr Roungou said his visit to Cameroon is an advocacy visit to discuss with the national authorities on how programmes for the fight against neglected tropical diseases could be strengthened, how this could reach out to the most regions and how Cameroon can give more visibility in terms of operations in the field. Dr Roungou and his delegation also planned to discuss with other partners such as NGOs that are contributing to the control of neglected tropical diseases in the country.

By Elizabeth Mosima