The Parliamentary Caucus for Health Financing was received on July 29 by the Prime Minister, head of government, to plead for the payment of counterpart funds from the Global Fund, estimated at more than 14.7 billion FCFA for 2027.
A delegation of five parliamentarians from the Caucus for Health Financing in Cameroon, the national branch of COPEMA (Coalition of Parliamentarians for the Elimination of Malaria in Africa), was received yesterday by the Prime Minister, Head of Government.
A hearing to defend the State’s counterpart
The meeting aimed to advocate for the prompt payment of counterpart funds from the State, required to maintain grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as to honor the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the United States Government.
In their memorandum submitted to the Head of Government, the parliamentarians emphasized the urgency of the situation: this counterpart payment is not a new expense, but a sum already owed that Cameroon must claim for itself. According to the document, each CFA franc paid by the State unlocks an additional 4 to 5 CFA francs from the Global Fund. The total amount required for 2027 is 14,701,943,610 CFA francs, intended to cover the needs of the National Strategic Plan for Malaria Control.
A payment delay would expose the country to a nationwide suspension of supplies to medicines, laboratories, and clinics. Members of Parliament also warned that any renegotiation of the agreements would take approximately eighteen months and would suspend current subsidies—a timeframe deemed incompatible with the health emergency. Finally, they reiterated that failure to honor this commitment would undermine Cameroon’s credibility with all its bilateral and multilateral partners, not just the United States.
The delegation consisted of the honourable Njume Peter Ambang, Ndip Bienvenu, Dr Marie Louise Ngoko, Koupit Adamou, Lawson Tabot and Fonge Jullius.
A multi-sectoral framework expected in September
Beyond funding, parliamentarians requested the Prime Minister’s presence at the official launch ceremony of the 2026-2030 National Multisectoral Framework for Malaria Control, scheduled for the first week of September at the Prime Minister’s Office. This ceremony is part of the follow-up to the Interministerial Committee established by Decree No. 134 of December 12, 2024, tasked with coordinating Cameroon’s commitments under the Yaoundé Declaration.
Several sectoral ministries are already mobilized within this multisectoral framework. The Ministry of Tourism and Leisure, through a Circular Letter dated June 10, 2026, is working to make all hotels in the country malaria-free zones. The
Ministry of Social Affairs, through a Ministerial Instruction dated April 13, 2026, has institutionalized the fight against malaria targeting vulnerable populations. The Education sector, for its part, is leading the « My School Without Malaria » initiative, with the involvement of four ministries. In total, 17 ministerial action plans dedicated to the fight against malaria have already been developed.
An agreement welcomed by the Caucus
Following the hearing, the Honorable Njume Peter Ambang, Coordinator of the Parliamentary Caucus for Health Financing in Cameroon and Co-Chair of COPEMA, welcomed the outcome of the meeting: “Our meeting was productive and successful. The Prime Minister agreed to our advocacy and promised to ensure that the government fulfills its obligations to pay counterpart funds.”
Parliamentarians are now waiting for concrete actions, starting with the effective release of counterpart funds and the holding of the launch ceremony for the multi-sectoral framework in September.
