CCAM Launches Global Malaria Action Plan in Cameroon
13 April 2009
The Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria launched the Global Malaria Action Plan, GMAP on Thursday, 18 December 2009 at the courtyard of its Bastos office in Yaoundé. The event was preceded by a week long series of activities, with a media plan that spanned the entire week with specific radio, TV and written media activities to raise awareness on the GMAP, the orientation of journalists on the GMAP, and training of journalists on malaria advocacy. The launching proper which took the form of a Malaria Awareness and Fundraising Night – dubbed “Malaria Night” – saw the presence of top government officials, representatives of the Civil Society Organisations, media persons, well wishers and a host of invitees. Artists such as Richard Kings were also invited to thrill the audience and express their latent creativity by injecting the element of edutainment in the fight against malaria. The occasion was also spiced with traditional dances, video projections on malaria control and a special dinner.
The event started with a series of speeches delivered by Prof Rose Leke, CCAM’s Executive Director; Dr Esther Tallah, CCAM Manager; Wain Paul Ngam, CAMAM chair and Dr Ondobo Andze Gervais, Personal Representative of the Minister of Public Health. While the CCAM Executive Director dwelt on CCAM’s achievements for the past 2 years of its existence, the CCAM Manager shed light on what the GMAP is all about. The CAMAM president called on his colleagues of the media to join forces against malaria in the kind of articles they published or broadcast, reiterating the role of media owners to ease the process. The Minister’s Representative reaffirmed government’s commitment to combat malaria and lauded the effort of CCAM in the fight against malaria in Cameroon and for taking the initiative to launch the GMAP in Cameroon – following the global launch that took place during the last UN submit at New York on September 25, 2008.
Fundraising Proper & Donations
About a million FCFA was raised during the Malaria Night to support CCAM activities through cutting of the GMAP cake. Prof Wilfred F. Mbacham, the CCAM Executive Secretary who doubles as the President of Fobang Foundation (FF) announced his organisation had secured 15 million FCFA to sustain 6 volumes of the CCAM “About Malaria” Magazine for the next 3 years (2009-2011). The funds are provided by Malaria No More through the FF. The FF included in its third strategic plan a communication portfolio, thus appending the cost of the “About Malaria” Magazine in the proposal development.
Anne Nsang, the National Information Officer of the UN Information Centre (UNIC) also donated a carton of documents to the CCAM Information Resource Centre. She was particularly pleased with the achievements CCAM has registered as Advocacy Agency in the fight against malaria in Cameroon and thereby opted to sell the image of CCAM through the UN system. Her organisation is open to partner with CCAM in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals of reducing the malaria burden following the 2010 target.
The participation of David Robertson and Drs Julia Samuel of the Drive Against Malaria (DAM) cannot be left out. The guests were awe-stricken by their bold courage to brave the scorching heat of the Sahara and wet climate of the tropical rain forest coupled with the bad roads and exposure to malaria attacks to traverse Africa in a bid to fight against malaria in a safari Land Rover. Their job entails reaching out to communities in high malaria risk zones, distributing free LLINs and providing treatment. The couple was happy to be part of the GMAP Launch and promised CCAM a pack of 50 LLINs.
Winners of the Investigative Reporting Competition
The winners of the “Investigative Reporting Competition on LLINs” were awarded their prizes at the end of the occasion. Yvette Fru emerged first taking home a laptop (Radio Production), seconded by Dora Shey who received a TV set (TV Production) and Henry Mekole third grabbing a handset (Radio Production) out of 6 candidates who participated. The three winners are all journalists working for the national media, CRTV. No articles were submitted for the print media.
Training of CAMAM members
Prior to the Malaria Night, CCAM organised a two-day training of well over 20 CAMAM members starting Monday, 15 December 2008. The participants most of whom were CRTV journalists drawn from the Far North, North, Adamawa, East, South and Centre regions were equipped with basic communication skills on Malaria Advocacy and Programming. The facilitators were Wain Paul and Kini Nsom, CAMAM member and Yaounde Bureau Chief of The Post, while the main resource person was Dr Esther Tallah.
Orientation of journalists on the GMAP
As a prelude to the event, CCAM in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Programme and the Yaounde UN Information Centre hosted an orientation session for media persons on Wednesday, 17 December 2008 at its Bastos headquarters. This was intended to familiarise them with the GMAP that sounds the trumpet against malaria that kills one child every 30 seconds in Africa. More harrowing is the fact that malaria is scourge that overburdens most families, the health systems and costs developing countries billions of dollars. To respond to this RBM partnership has for the first time provided a comprehensive blueprint for malaria control and elimination. A key feedback from this orientation, and in recognition of their role, was the remark by the journalists that they have not been listed among the stakeholders in this blue print.
Drive Against Malaria were also part of both workshops, sharing their experiences with the anxious journalists who were so keen to take down notes and interview them on how they go about to fight this “African Challenge”.
Executing the Media Plan
The GMAP Launch in Cameroon was highly mediatised on both the state and private media. The CCAM executive members were guests on top radio and TV programmes on CRTV such as Cameroon Calling, Monday Show and CRTV m’accompagne to talk about the GMAP. Other private TV stations such as New TV also covered the activities for their news. The echoes of these weeklong activities were felt in the far ends of Cameroon as journalists trained took the message to their various regions. Local newspapers such as The Post and The Herald also devoted pages to educate the masses on the importance of the GMAP.
GMAP is a consensus-based plan with the established objective of controlling malaria world-wide in the near future. GMAP's three-fold strategy: control, elimination and research, constitutes an onslaught to halt the leading killer.
Talking to the press, CCAM General Manager holds that since the success of the GMAP strategy is hinged on the proper dissemination of information, the media shoulder enormous responsibility. She said this approach is very important since it will save lives, reduce poverty and strengthen health systems. If the GMAP is well executed, authorities say: “It would facilitate Cameroon's bid to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Given that children and pregnant women are more vulnerable to malaria, it is hoped that GMAP will reduce infant mortality and improve maternal health”.
To download the CCAM report of the launch of the GMAP please click on the below links. Page 1 . Page 2 . Page 3 .
