The President of the Senate gave the assurance on April 29, 2014 in Yaounde.

The President of the Senate, Marcel Niat Njifenji, has expressed the determination of the House to work with local authorities and Senators to provide assistance the Ministry of Public Health needs to fight Neglected Tropical Diseases in Cameroon.

The Director of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), Dr Jean-Baptiste Roungou, made the revelation after an audience with the President of the Senate, Niat Njifenji in Yaounde yesterday, April 29, 2014. His audience with the Senate President was part of his ongoing advocacy visit in Cameroon to discuss with government officials and those of other institutions on ways of intensifying the control of the diseases one of which is onchocerciasis “river blindness” in the country.

Besides river blindness, other the remarkable of the Neglected Tropical Diseases include rabies, schistosomiasis, leprosy, elephantiasis, African sleeping sickness, guinea-worm, trachoma and buruli ulcer. Dr Jean-Baptiste Roungou said the diseases mostly affect poor and needy people. He disclosed that over 10 million Cameroonians risk being exposed to the diseases and the subsequent risk of blindness and other body destruction.

The African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control, he said, has been effective in Cameroon since 1998 and with the support of government, much positive results have been obtained. His current working visit which is aimed at launching the campaign for the fight against the diseases, will enable the creation of more partnerships for greater control of the diseases.