Figures released this week by the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) show that Cameroon is experiencing a reduction in deaths from this endemic disease.
We learned that the country’s health facilities recorded 4,500 deaths caused by malaria in 2019, compared to 2,016 deaths in 2024. This is a source of satisfaction for the NMCP, even though program officials are still noting a slight increase in deaths between 2023 and 2024. Prevalence is also a source of satisfaction for the NMCP. In 2024, health facilities in the national triangle recorded nearly 3 million cases, a figure that is lower than the previous year, as noted by Jean Fosso, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the NMCP. He speaks of a reduction in the number of cases of 13,000 in absolute terms.
However, “malaria remains a worrying public health problem in Cameroon,” declared Jean Fosso on national television. He spoke at the end of a media briefing held on April 15th, attended by Albert Frank Ze Meka, the Permanent Secretary of the PNLP. It was during this meeting that the PNLP released the figures for this disease and announced that Cameroon will commemorate the 18th World Malaria Day on April 25th.
Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized accelerating the fight against malaria. This year, the commemoration of this day in Cameroon will open the debate on the theme: “Malaria ends with us: reinvest, reimagine, rekindle.”
SBBC
