Health initiatives launched in Cameroon and DR Congo to combat neglected diseases

In Cameroon, the Ministry of Public Health, the National Onchocerciasis Control Program (PNLO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners have launched the ACCESS MMP project. This initiative aims to accelerate the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) by specifically targeting mobile and vulnerable populations, including refugees in the East and nomadic pastoralists in the Adamawa region. The project seeks to overcome barriers such as seasonal mobility, geographic isolation, and linguistic differences through epidemiological data and community-based approaches.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the One Health Institute for Africa (INOHA) at the University of Kinshasa has signed two memorandum of understanding agreements with the National Mental Health Program and the National Guinea Worm Eradication Program. These partnerships are designed to bridge the gap between scientific research and public health operations. The collaboration aims to produce data-driven insights to assist health authorities in developing more effective responses to field-level sanitary challenges and improving public health policy implementation.