Government has intensified the fight against what many consider the number one killer in Cameroon, malaria.
The Minister of Public Health says all complications emanating from malaria infection in children between the ages 0-5 shall be treated free of charge.
The decision has been welcomed by parents who had been paying much due to recurrent attacks on children who generally are the most vulnerable group.
The extent of damage caused by malaria can be judged from the facts and figures:
• 43 out of every 100 deaths in Cameroon are attributed to malaria.
• Close to 50 percent of all hospital admissions are associated with malaria.
• In 2013, malaria killed 3000 people
• In the same year some 4.8 million people took ill of malaria.
Government is now determined to reduce the devastating effects of malaria by 75 percent by 2018 thanks to support from some development partners like the Global fund
As good as the present decision is, one major challenge is to ensure the continuous availability of treatment drugs.
CENAME, the basic drug distribution unit has been effective in previous situations, there is no doubt it shall be up to the task.
