New Surveillance Model for Detecting Cases of NTDs in Cameroon

In recent years, the decline in cases of Hansen’s disease in Cameroon suggested that the country had become leprosy-free.

However, this good news has been clouded by a lack of objective explanations and may be due to other reasons, such as a decline in surveillance and detection of this and other Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), or the lack of training for qualified personnel. This situation has led to cases of NTDs going undetected in districts such as Bafia, where a number of NTDs are endemic.

By partnering with Cameroon’s Ministry of Public Health and the NGO Fairmed, we have set up a surveillance system to improve the control, elimination and eradication of skin NTDs in the Bafia health district. Actions include:

• Setting up a baseline data collection on skin NTDs in the Bafia district, including an initial assessment to provide an overview of the situation.
• Enhancing the capacity of the district’s health system on NTD surveillance by reinforcing the capacities of health workers and providing them with better training.
• Providing the necessary equipment and supply of medicines and supplies to manage cases.

Thanks to these interventions we will be able to obtain an objective picture of the actual situation of NTDs in the Bafia district and take action to carry out integrated surveillance.

Additionally, we will improve the health information system and the capacity of health workers to prevent and manage cases of NTDs.