The Ministry of Public Health has launched the activities of the project funded under the Pandemic Fund, a mechanism designed to strengthen capacities for prevention, preparedness and response to health emergencies.
In total, nearly $160 million, or approximately 96 billion FCFA, has been mobilized for this project. The Pandemic Fund’s direct contribution amounts to $23.5 million. This is complemented by $112.3 million in co-financing and $24 million in co-investments from the Cameroonian government.
The initiative will be implemented over three years and is based on the « One Health » approach, which considers human, animal, and environmental health in an integrated manner. The project involves the Ministry of Public Health, as well as the administrations responsible for agriculture, the environment, forestry, and livestock. The FAO, UNICEF, and the World Bank are among the implementing entities.
On the ground, several priorities have been identified. These include strengthening surveillance and early warning systems, improving laboratory capacity, and
developing the skills of staff involved in preparing for and responding to health emergencies. The project also includes digitizing community surveillance in more than 40 municipalities and strengthening 50 laboratories.
The plan also includes the establishment and strengthening of coordination mechanisms between sectors. Ten regional public health emergency operations centers are to be operationalized in particular to improve the management of health crises.
For Cameroon, the challenge is to have a more responsive system to health threats, in a context marked by epidemics, zoonoses, natural disasters, and population movements. The Pandemic Fund must therefore contribute to reducing the health, social, and economic impacts of future emergencies.
