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, today Friday, 10 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.
The agenda of the meeting included the following items:
- the evolution of the pandemic in Cameroon;
- the involvement of municipal authorities in ensuring the wearing of protective masks in public;
- the involvement of youth volunteers in the fight against COVID-19;
- Mobilisation of resources from bilateral and multilateral partners for the fight against the coronavirus.
Regarding the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon, the Minister of Public Health indicated that the number of people who have tested positive to date is 15,173, among whom are 11,928 patients cured and 359 deaths. The case-fatality rate has stabilized at 2.3%, mainly due to the early detection of infected persons and the encouraging progress recorded in the care of the sick. Ongoing actions include the operationalization of the specialized isolation and treatment centres for COVID-19 patients in regions other than the Centre and the Littoral, the strengthening of the epidemiological surveillance system and the intensification of screening operations with a view to the rapid treatment of patients.
With regard to the involvement of municipal authorities in promoting the wearing of protective masks in public, the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development stated that, in the exercise of their administrative police duties, municipal magistrates had issued orders aimed at systematizing the wearing of masks in their municipalities.
He said that in addition to the health kits offered by the Head of State, the councils granted financial support to local craftsmen for the production of protective masks.
With regard to the participation of young volunteers in the fight against COVID-19, the Minister of Youth and Civic Education indicated that 26,374 young volunteers are mobilized throughout the national territory to support prevention, awareness-raising and communication activities carried out on the field by the specialized teams of the Ministry of Public Health and other line ministries.
As for the mobilization of resources from bilateral and multilateral partners for the fight against COVID-19, the Minister of Economy said that the commitments made by partner States and organizations amount to about CFAF 306 billion. Advances have already been made available by some partners and they are working towards the disbursement of the expected balance. The Minister of Economy also specified that these resources are allocated as a priority to strengthen the capacity of medical analysis laboratories, to acquire equipment and various materials for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 patients.
At the end of the discussions, the Head of Government instructed, inter alia:
- the Minister of Public Health, to continue the epidemiological surveillance and early detection of persons suffering from COVID-19;