Ministère de la Santé Publique

A humanitarian campaign for the treatment of rare diseases ended

in Yaounde on May 21, 2016.

ALMOHA brining hope to Cameroonians with rare diseases.

Madache Eleanor is happy mother. Her son Jordan Foaguy, 3, was born with Hypospadias, a birth defect of the urethra where the urinary opening is not at its usual location on the head of the penis. She explained that due to the condition, her son had to stoop before urinating. But after undergoing surgery in Yaounde by a very competent team of doctors from France, Jordan Foaguy now urinates normally.

The story is similar to that of Maïmounatou Saliou. Her son, Mamadou Hafis, six months old, was born with a cleft lip. He now has a normal face after a successful surgery by competent experts. It is on this satisfactory note that the humanitarian campaign for the surgical treatment of rare diseases ended in Yaounde on May 21, 2016. The campaign was organized by the Association for Rare Diseases and Orphan and Handicap Diseases (ALMOHA). Prior to the end of the campaign, a meeting to give a balance sheet of the work done took place in Yaounde on Thursday May 19, 2016.

Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda hailed ALMOHA for their efforts in bringing hope to families and expressed the wish that such exercises will be extended to other regions of the country.

Out of 170 cases that were diagnosed, 45 were operated upon for conditions linked to rare diseases. The first cases were operated upon on May 11, 2016. The president of ALMOHA, Nadine Abondo said she was satisfied with the campaign. She said the association has the support of the Ministry of Public Health but needs the participation of all. She assured that ALMOHA intends to extend its activities to the hinterlands. There was treatment for children and adults. The children were operated at the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric Hospital while adults were operates at the Yaounde Central Hospital. The treatment was carried out free of charge.

                                                                                                                   Elisabeth MOSIMA