Faced with nearly 11,500 tuberculosis (TB) cases that still escape the health system each year, Cameroonian health authorities have revised the upcoming National Strategic Plan 2027–2030. This technical workshop aims to urgently close the detection gap in order to curb community transmission of a disease that still affects an estimated 38,000 people annually in the country.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513246/
Health authorities, partners and tuberculosis experts gathered in Yaoundé to review and validate Cameroon’s future National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Control (2027–2030).
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem in Cameroon despite years of sustained efforts to combat the disease. As the country seeks to align its response with global TB elimination targets, health authorities and partners have begun developing a new roadmap that will guide national interventions between 2027 and 2030. This process was the focus of a national technical review workshop on the National Tuberculosis Control Strategic Plan (PSN-TB), held in Yaoundé from May 28 to 29, 2026. The meeting brought together representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, technical and financial partners, healthcare providers, researchers, civil society organizations, and community actors involved in TB control.
The objective was to review and validate the strategic directions of the future 2027–2030 National Strategic Plan, which is expected to strengthen the country’s response to one of the leading infectious causes of morbidity and mortality.
During the workshop, participants worked in thematic groups to examine the draft document and propose amendments aimed at improving its effectiveness.
Discussions focused on several priority areas, including prevention, case detection, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and evaluation, operational research, resource mobilization, and community engagement.
The review took place in a context of persistent challenges. Although progress has been made over the past decade, tuberculosis continues to affect thousands of people across the country each year. Data presented during the workshop showed that approximately 38,000 TB cases were estimated in Cameroon in 2024, while only 26,551 cases were officially notified by the health system.
The gap between estimated and reported cases highlights a significant detection deficit, suggesting that many people with tuberculosis remain undiagnosed or untreated. Health experts warn that these missed cases contribute to ongoing community transmission of the disease and increase the risk of severe complications and death.
According to participants, improving early diagnosis remains one of the most urgent priorities. Delays in case identification often are due to limited access to diagnostic services, insufficient awareness of TB symptoms, and barriers preventing vulnerable populations from seeking care.
To address these shortcomings, the future strategic plan proposes a set of measures aimed at strengthening the national response. These include expanding active case finding, increasing the availability of rapid molecular diagnostic tools, improving access to preventive treatment for high-risk populations, and enhancing the quality of patient care.
The strategy also places strong emphasis on community engagement. Community health workers, civil society organizations, and local leaders are expected to play a greater role in awareness-raising, screening activities, and treatment follow-up, in order to reach populations that might otherwise remain outside the formal health system.
Another key element of the plan is the strengthening of surveillance and monitoring mechanisms to ensure better data quality and more effective tracking of progress toward national targets.
Cameroon’s ambitions are aligned with the World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy, which calls for a drastic reduction in TB incidence and mortality worldwide. By 2035, the country aims to reduce TB-related deaths by 90% and cut disease incidence by 80%.
As preparations continue for the finalization of the 2027–2030 strategic plan,
health authorities hope the new roadmap will provide the momentum needed to close detection gaps, improve access to essential services, and accelerate the country’s progress toward a tuberculosis-free future.
Ornéla ZANGA
