Ministère de la Santé Publique

The Minister of Public Health holds a closed-door meeting with senior officials of the Global Fund in Geneva

On the sidelines of strategic meetings taking place in Geneva, Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, Dr. MANAOUDA Malachie, held a closed-door session with senior officials of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Among the notable interlocutors was Mr. Mark Eldon-Edington, Head of the Grant Management Division.

This technical and strategic meeting served as an opportunity to take stock of relations between Cameroon and the Global Fund, which has already mobilized nearly 1.3 billion US dollars in support of Cameroon’s health system over the years.

One of the most sensitive topics discussed was the impact of the partial suspension of US funding. The United States alone contributes around one-third of the Global Fund’s total budget. A shift in approach is now required: “Things will no longer be as they were before,” a source close to the discussions acknowledged. The US will no longer be able to fully maintain the funding levels it has supported until now.

In response to this reality, a strategic readjustment of activities was agreed upon. Both parties consented to reducing non-essential interventions to preserve life-saving actions for the population. At the same time, Cameroon must uphold its co-financing commitments or risk a 20% reduction in grants. In this regard, the co-financing report for fiscal year 2024 has already been submitted to the Global Fund.

The Minister also reassured stakeholders of the effective destruction of expired pharmaceutical products, which has now been completed in all ten regions of the country—a measure welcomed for its importance in managing health risks.

Discussions also focused on the need to strictly target essential medical supplies and priority activities to ensure continuity of care and save lives amid scarce resources. To this end, the Cameroonian government has implemented risk mitigation measures covering 63%, according to the Minister, who added that the remaining measures are currently being rolled out.

The situation at the National Supply Center for Essential Medicines (CENAME) was raised with concern. The Minister stressed the need for strict discipline in managing the supply chain and medical inputs. He also emphasized the urgency of ending ineligible expenditures, including at the regional fund level.

To ensure effectiveness, a monitoring team has been set up to track the progress of programs supported by the Global Fund. In addition, a structural reorganization of these programs has been underway since April 22, 2025, along with an ongoing organizational audit, the terms of reference of which have already been submitted to Global Fund authorities.

Finally, Cameroon has submitted a Sustainability Plan to the Prime Minister, Head of Government, for high-level consideration. The Minister of Public Health concluded by reaffirming his personal commitment, as well as that of his ministry, to fully address current challenges and to move decisively toward sustainable solutions for the well-being of the population, in line with the vision of the President of the Republic of Cameroon.

Clavère NKEN, Head of COMMUNICATION MPH