The Government of Cameroon is putting up a strong force to counter poliomyelitis in Cameroon.
Accordingly, the Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachie, held a press briefing this Friday, October 25, 2024 at the Coordination Center for Public Health Emergency Operations (CCOUSP) in Messa, Yaounde.
This meeting to take stock of the epidemiological situation of poliomyelitis not only in Cameroon, but also in the sub-region of the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel, where variants of poliovirus continue to circulate.
Since June 2020, Cameroon has officially been a wild poliovirus-free country.
However, it has been facing polio epidemics due to type 2 variants since 2021. The last case of the variant was detected in September 2024, confirming the presence of the virus in several neighboring countries such as Nigeria and Chad.
A situation which highlights gaps in routine vaccination coverage, requiring a concerted response at the regional level to stop the spread of the virus.
Several measures have been put in place to combat this resurgence including increased sensitization, increased surveillance, and vaccination campaigns amongst others.
Eleanor Ayuketah Ngochi
