REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN Paix-Travail-Patrie SERVICES DU PREMIER MINISTRE SECRETARIAT GENERAL REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON Peace-Work-Fatherland PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE SECRETARIAT GENERAL
# PRESS RELEASE
The Prime Minister, Head of Government, H.E. Joseph DION NGUTE, this Thursday 23 July 2020, by videoconference, chaired the weekly meeting of the Interministerial Committee in charge of evaluating and monitoring the implementation of Government’s response strategy against the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon.
Three items featured on the agenda namely:
- the evolution of the pandemic in Cameroon;
- measures taken to ensure the protection of women and families against COVID-19;
- the modalities for the organisation, functioning and monitoring—evaluation of the Special National Solidarity Fund for the fight against COVID-19.
In terms of the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon, 16,708 confirmed cases have already been recorded, including 385 deaths and 14,539 patients cured. While the rate of contamination is tending to stabilize throughout the national territory, it is nevertheless resurging in several countries, hence the need to scrupulously respect precautionary measures, in particular social distancing and the systematic wearing of masks in areas open to the public. The Minister of Public Health also specified that the care of COVID-19 patients is provided by the State, both for hospitalization costs and for the care they receive.
With regard to measures taken to ensure the protection of women and families against COVID-19, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family indicated that the actions taken have included awareness-raising among communities through the dissemination of targeted messages, psycho-social support for women and families in distress, the distribution of food kits to the most vulnerable, support for women in the production of protective masks and hand sanitizers, and the revival of income-generating activities affected by the pandemic.
Concerning the Special National Solidarity Fund for the fight against COVID-19 and its economic and social impacts, the Minister of Finance indicated that a special allocation account was set up under the ordinance signed by the President of the Republic on 3 June 2020. The overall amount of financial resources allocated to this fund is CFAF 180 billion, dedicated to capital and operating expenses relating to the strengthening of the health system, economic and financial resilience, strengthening of research and innovation and social resilience.
A decree of 22 July 2020 sets the distribution of this allocation to the 24 beneficiary administrations and a Circular specifies the methods of organisation, functioning and monitoring-evaluation of the said Fund, whose management will be subject to a half-yearly control and an audit by the Audit Bench of the Supreme Court.
At the end of the discussions, the Head of Government instructed:
- the Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family to continue implementing current and planned activities by providing appropriate assistance to the most vulnerable families, especially in peri-urban and rural areas;
- the Minister of Finance to ensure the sound management of the funds made available to the beneficiary administrations and the transparency of the related operations;