USAID has launched a programme to this effect in Cameroon last Thursday in Yaounde.
The Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda and the United States Ambassador to Cameroon, Robert P. Jackson, recently in Yaounde launched a three-year programme to improve access to pharmaceuticals services in Cameroon. The programme which is financed by the United States government at the cost of some 3.5 million US Dollas is within a USAID programme called Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) which will be implemented by a team led by Management Sciences for Health.
During the launching of the programme last Thursday May 10, the Country Project Director of SIAPS Cameroon, Dr Kaze Gege Buki presented the results of an analysis of pharmaceutical management in Cameroon with focus on the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD)-related products. Looking at the various technical domains of pharmaceutical services in the country, it was realised that more human resources are needed in the public sector. Dr Buki said out of the 600 pharmacists in the country only 24 are working in the public sector. It was also realised that drugs were not properly stored particularly in the regional level and that information on the distribution of drugs were not available between the central and regional levels for the central level to make drugs available when needed.
Ambassador Robert P Jackson said SIAPS will work with the Ministry of Public Health through the Directorate of Pharmacy, CENAME, the regional departments for stocking drugs and the National AIDS Control Committee. While noting that eight to 10 percent of drugs in the market are of poor quality, Ambassador Jackson said the programme will help reinforce the capacity of pharmaceutical services at all levels, reinforce the information system for medicines such as knowledge on consumption and distribution of drugs so as to be able to carry out a better forecast on quantification in order to avoid shortages. The programme will also help the National AIDS Control Programme meet the proceeding conditions for round 10 of Global Fund such as having an agreement with CENAME for the storage of drugs as well as an effective system on pharmaceutical information.
The Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda lauded the government of the United States for its contribution in ameliorating health services in Cameroon especially in the provision of essential drugs.
