Secretaries General of ministries in Cameroon have said they will contribute to ongoing efforts for the implementation the National Malaria Multisectoral Plan in the country.
The administrators met at a working session in Yaounde on 18th July 2024 to discuss a common goal for malaria elimination in Cameroon by 2035.
The meeting was a joint initiative of the Ministry of Public Health, the National Malaria Control Programme, and Impact Santé Afrique.
Being the 11th country most affected by Malaria, the implementation of the multisectoral plan is expected to reduce the Malaria burden in the country by 75%, paving the way for its elimination by 2035.
“ We must understand that Malaria is a real challenge for our country and this fight must be wholistic. We will try to ensure that our directorate of norms and control is involved in this fight because this is an issue of habitat which is conditioned by key factors such as climate, humidity and rainfall. If we don’t control these climate factors, the fight will not be successful,” Paul Tchawa, Secretary General of the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development said.
The National Malaria Multisectoral Plan comes on the heels of the National Plan for the Fight Against Malaria, implemented from 2019-2023. This plan accounted for the reduction of Cameroon’s Malaria prevalence to 11%.
“ Seeing such personalities in such a meeting gives me hope that these ministries are going to be more committed to this fight against Malaria. We want them to tell their Ministers that we need just one percent of their budget to kick out this disease, Hon. Njume Peter, President of the Parliamentary Caucus for Health Financing said .
Current Stakes
Cameroon is the 11th country most affected by Malaria. According to recent statistics from the Ministry of Public Health, almost three million cases and nearly 2000 deaths are recorded yearly in Cameroon. Malaria also accounts for about 40% of the causes of hospitalization with children under 5 years of age accounting for 68% of deaths. Children and pregnant women, constitute the most vulnerable groups.
According to the National Malaria Control Programme, Cameroon’s prevalence should be less than 1%. The structure reports a reduction in mortality rates between 2019 and 2023, from 18% to 6.3.%.
This malaria prevalence is however, unfortunately threatened by a new anopheles mosquito.
“You should have noticed that we have lots of cases of Malaria in the urban areas because there are new anopheles mosquitoes which spread the disease quickly when the environment is favorable,” Olivia Ngou Executive Director of Impact Santé Afrique told CRTV WEB.
Proper sensitization on malaria prevention techniques in schools, markets, churches and other public places are among issues stakeholders are looking to effectively address.
En route to Elimination
Stakeholders hope the multisectoral Malaria plan will change the tides, and significantly contribute to Malaria elimination in Cameroon.
“The multisectoral framework is a real guide to multisectoral actions and resource mobilization developed and validated with the participation and consensus of all stakeholders,” Public Health Minister, Dr. Manaouda Malachie said.
“Today we have a strategic document that guides every sector and permits them understand the activities that they can carry out and it will strongly contribute to the reduction of Malaria,” Olivia Ngou, Executive Director of ISA said.
As efforts to implement the plan are being intensified , Dr. Manaouda calls on all actors to welcome the new plan and make it a permanent guide for the fight against the disease.
Cameroon is the first country in West and Central Africa to have set up a multisectoral plan to fight against Malaria. Malaria stakeholders and other decision makers will put hands on deck to make the plan a reality in Cameroon. They are looking forward to Cameroon’s elimination of Malaria like Cape Verte that just celebrated the elimination of this disease in their country.
Kathy Neba Sina
