By presidential decree signed on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, by Head of State Paul Biya, Professor Gloria Ashutantang Enow has been appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University of Buea;This prestigious appointment at the highest level of higher education crowns the exceptional career of an absolute pioneer of nephrology in Cameroon. Former Dean of the University of Bamenda and President of the African Association of Nephrology, this distinguished scientist, with 52 publications to her name, has dedicated her life to the fight against kidney failure and the training of young doctors;This highly strategic choice celebrates merit, academic excellence, and female leadership at the highest level of the Republic.https://www.ubuea.cm/
The Cameroonian academic and medical landscape was abuzz on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. By presidential decree (No. 2026/200) signed by Head of State Paul Biya, Professor Gloria Ashutantang Enow, wife of Some, was appointed Pro-Chancellor
of the prestigious University of Buea. This appointment to the highest level of higher education is no coincidence. It resonates as a fitting republican consecration, a solemn recognition by the nation of the career of an exceptional woman who has dedicated her life to medicine and education in Africa.
A pioneer of Cameroonian medicine
An emblematic figure of contemporary medicine in Cameroon, she is one of the country’s very first specialists in nephrology. At a time when kidney disease was a death sentence due to a lack of infrastructure, she laid the foundations of this essential specialty. A respected consultant nephrologist at Yaoundé General Hospital and professor at the University of Yaoundé I, Professor Ashutantang has distinguished herself through her rigorous work. With over 52 internationally renowned scientific publications, her research has focused on kidney failure in sub-Saharan Africa. Faced with the immense challenges posed by this silent disease, she did not confine herself to the laboratory. A woman of action, both intellectual and compassionate, she has worked to decentralize healthcare by establishing dialysis centers throughout the country, providing continuous monitoring, and raising public awareness about the importance of early detection.
An undisputed academic and pan-African leader
Professor Gloria Ashutantang embodies a rare combination of clinical expertise and high-level academic leadership. Before being appointed by the President of the Republic to head the Board of Directors of the University of Buea, she brilliantly served as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Bamenda. She also left her mark on the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMSB)
in Yaoundé, where she is the Honorary Vice-Dean. In these positions of responsibility, she trained, mentored, and inspired several generations of doctors who are now the pride of the national health system. Her influence extends far beyond the borders of the country. As the current President of the African Association of Nephrology (AFRAN), she is the voice of African kidney health internationally. Through ongoing advocacy with global decision-makers, she strives to improve the quality of training for young nephrologists across the continent through mentorship.
The symbol of modern and inclusive university governance. This appointment, announced on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, is highly strategic. By appointing this dynamic, ambitious, and reserved woman to the position of Pro-Chancellor of the University of Buea, the Head of State has chosen pure academic merit and managerial excellence. At the University of Buea, an institution with an Anglo-Saxon tradition renowned for its rigor, her arrival is seen as a strong signal of renewed energy in university governance. A few months after the heartfelt tributes from the Échos Santé group during International Women’s Day 2026, this presidential decision serves as a reminder that the glass ceiling is crumbling in the face of the immense talent of women. Professor Gloria Ashutantang becomes an absolute role model for young scientists and all African women who aspire to excellence. Her career brilliantly demonstrates that dedication and hard work inevitably lead to the highest echelons of the Republic. The challenge of Buea now lies before her, and history will remember that Cameroonian medicine has given the nation one of its most illustrious servants.
Junior NTEPPE KASSI
