A campaign to sensitise malaria ambassadors took place in Yaounde recently.

National and international partners in the fight against malaria met in Yaounde on Thursday November 29, for a one-day sensitisation campaign on malaria. The campaign was organised by the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) in collaboration with the NGO Malaria No More. It aimed at sensitising artists who are malaria ambassadors involved in the fight against malaria in the country.

The activities took place in three phases. The first phase was the presentation of the situation of malaria in Cameroon and Africa and by the National Malaria Control Programme while the second phase was a visit to children suffering from malaria at the Chantal Biya Foundation in Yaounde. Mosquito bed nets were distributed to families in high-risk areas in the TamTam Weekend neighbourhood in Yaounde by the malaria ambassadors. The aim was to sensitise the communities on the need to sleep in mosquito bed nets. Through the ambassadors of KO Malaria, the communities will be sensitised and educated so that they will know that they can go to the nearest health centres for treatment whenever they are sick.

Malaria is a public health problem in Cameroon. During the past decade, the government of Cameroon has showed commitment in the fight against malaria. Since 2005, over 8 million long-lasting mosquito bed nets have been distributed all over the national territory. Also, since February 2011 the government has prescribed free treatment for malaria for children below five years. For the past two years, health centres receive efficient drugs for malaria at low subsidised costs.