Cameroon joins the world in the second World Malaria Day
27 April 2009
On Saturday, 25 April 2009, Cameroon joined the rest of the world to celebrate the second edition of the World Malaria Day. In the nation’s capital, the occasion was graced with much pump and pageantry as the Minister of Public Health, André Marie Fouda championed a solidarity march to “count malaria out” of Cameroon that kicked off from the city’s 20th May Boulevard. A mammoth crowd accompanied the Minister alongside partner organizations of the National Malaria Control Programme to add their voices to the chorus of a Cameroon free of malaria. This was a prelude to a maiden Malaria Exhibition, which held at the Yaounde Hilton from 10 am till 2 pm.
The WMD Exhibition was organised by the NMCP under the auspices of the MOH in collaboration with partner organisations. It was the first of its kind aimed at showcasing various resources that partner organisations are making available in support to the national fight against malaria and mobilising a coordinated effort for effective action against malaria.
CCAM among other partner organisations represented at the open fair such as WHO, UNICEF, ACMS, IRESCO, JACO and others manned a stand at the exhibition to showcase its achievements and activities to the public. Useful information on malaria prevention, control and treatment were shared to curious visitors in the form of flyers, posters, leaflets, magazines and books. Besides, it was an opportunity for CCAM to sell itself and let people know more about its activities. CCAM also used this forum to disseminate information on the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP).
After the Minister’s speech that came closely after the keynote address of the WHO representative, Dr Tougordi Alexis, there was an official visit to the malaria exposition village created at the vestibule. When it was the turn of the CCAM, Akere-Maimo, CCAM’s Information & Communication Assistant took time to brief the Minister on CCAM’s major achievements and presented to him some of the organization’s publications (About Malaria 1&2, Malaria Practical Guide, Annual Report 2007, etc). Minister André Marie was delighted to sign in the CCAM register as a token of his encouragement to the wonderful work done by “Prof Rose Leke and her team” (going the Minister’s own words). He was also handed over some documents which he took along.
Also present on the CCAM stand were Prof Rose Leke, CCAM’s Executive Director who in spite of the tiring morning march still made for the exposition; Teclaire, CCAM’s secretary; Victor, CCAM’s Finance & Administration Assistant; Pierre Fongho, Yves Ronny and Essono Awouna – all workgroup members.
Later on in the day (2-6 pm), Teclaire and Akere represented CCAM at a Music Contest on Malaria among School Health Clubs organised by the Fobang Foundation in a bid to sensitise the youths in Cameroon on malaria-related issues. Winners were awarded assorted prizes of bed nets and documents on malaria with Lycée d’Essos emerging first group in the secondary schools category. CCAM supported in the special prize to the youngest best singer alongside some documents and certificates of encouragements for the first best three.
Also worth mentioning is the fact that the MOH launched a project of indoor residual spraying in Etam-Bafia, a neighbourhood in Yaounde as part of activities built up for WMD 2009 on Friday afternoon, 24 April 2009. To represent CCAM was Prof Rose Leke, accompanied by Teclaire and Akere.
