Cameroon News

Context

Yaounde - On World Health Day 2026, under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science,” the World Health Organization (WHO) is highlighting individuals who use science to improve lives across the African Region.

A paediatrician and public health expert based in Cameroon, Professor Anne Esther Njom Nlend explains how science helps protect health—especially for mothers, newborns and children. Drawing on concrete examples from the African context, she illustrates how scientific evidence guides medical decisions, saves lives and supports sustainable progress.

Douala —Along with Senegal, Cameroon is implementing the “Healthy Food Market” project in the city of Douala through two pilot markets: New Deido and Ndogpassi. Coordinated by the urban municipality, this project aims to strengthen the prevention of foodborne diseases and improve hygiene, sanitation and food safety, with the goal of gradually spreading these good practices to all markets in the city.

Douala—Since June 2023, Cameroon has been implementing the “Healthy Food Market” project in two pilot markets in Douala: Ndogpassi and New Deido. Described as a transformational and social initiative, the project is based on scientific evidence to encourage behaviour change within the community of traders. 

Yaounde ‒ For the first time ever, a circulating variant poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) was fully sequenced in Cameroon, marking a major milestone in Africa’s efforts to detect and respond  faster to polio outbreaks. 

Poliovirus has three types: 1, 2, and 3. Although wild polio type 3 was declared eradicated in 2019, variant type 3 can still appear where immunity is low, making quick detection and response essential to contain outbreaks. 

Yaoundé – At 14, Eugène learned he was HIV-positive. The diagnosis turned his adolescence upside down, marked by doubt, fear, and stigma. “At that age, you don’t understand everything, but you feel different. I was afraid of how others would see me, afraid of the future,” he confides. Now 20, he is a student at the Faculty of Education and advocates for self-acceptance and equitable access to reproductive health services for young people living with HIV.

Mbalmayo, August 11, 2025 – The Ministry of Public Health of Cameroon (MINSANTE) convened a high-level strategic workshop from August 11 to 13, 2025, at the Mbalmayo International Conference Center. The objective was to develop the National Plan for Preparedness and Response to Yellow Fever Epidemics in Urban Areas for the period 2025-2028.

On July 25, 2025, the Palais de Verre Paul Biya in Yaounde, Cameroon, hosted a high-level seminar addressing the urgent need to regulate and tax unhealthy food products.

Cameroon is embarking on a transformative journey to revamp its emergency medical services (EMS) system, marking a significant milestone in public health. The Ministry of Public Health, with the unwavering support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), has validated the 2024 evaluation report that sheds light on the critical state of emergency care across the nation.

Pretoria, South Africa – 20 May 2025 – On the occasion of the 53rd National Day of the Republic of Cameroon, Dr Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa (2015-2024) was awarded the title of Officer of the National Order of Valour, one of the highest distinctions bestowed by the Government of Cameroon.