Health

Fight against NTDs in Centre region: Health workers salute Helen Keller International’s contribution.

Workshop participants in group photo

The American organisation, Helen Keller International, HKI, has been saluted for its contribution in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases, NTDs, in the Centre region. HKI

The workshop, organised in Mfou, outskirt of Yaounde on October 7, brought together health officials and community agents from the region as well as some representatives of partner organisations.

According to the Centre Regional Coordinator for NTDs, Ngara Bonguen Denis, HKI has remained a traditional and historic partner of the Ministry of Public Health especially in the fight against Onchocerciasis and other NTDs.

“I have had the privilege to work on projects with the support of HKI for 10 years now and I can attest the importance of their support in treatment, research, advocacy in this domain,” Ngara Bonguen said.

The public health epidemiologist, continued that the Act to End NTDs|West Programme of the US Agency for International Development, USAID, also followed the footsteps of other partners in this initiative through HKI to support the fight against NTDs.

“I think that the financial support is very vital in covering the gabs from government. The support of the government is very important, but these are programmes that necessitate too much funding because it touches the population at the grassroots and HKI has brought much in this light,” Ngara Bonguen added.

He then expressed the wish to continue the collaboration so that the necessary impact on the population should continually be realised thanks to the funding.

In the same vein, Dr Haddison Eposi, District Medical Officer of Sa’a, Lekie Division of the Centre region, acknowledged the support received from Helen Keller International in the fight against Onchocerciasis and NTDs in general.

“The community agents are the ones who do a lot of work, so they need their continuous support for their training, movement in the community and feeding during the campaign,” Dr Eposi said.

He added that: “any source of funding for this campaign is so important because we district centres find it very important to get local funding. So funding from partners, and the ministry go a long way to make sure the process is a success”.