U.S. Ambassador Christopher J. Lamora stands with a group of health officials and community drug distributors during a mass drug administration campaign for the prevention of river blindness. Credit: U.S. Embassy, Cameroon
On September 6, U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon Christopher J. Lamora and his team travelled to Minkama III village under the Obala health district to participate in the mass administration of Mectizan to prevent Onchocerciasis (river blindness) and protect the health of 1,587 people living in the village.
Watch this video to see how regular drug administration campaigns have helped reduce river blindness, giving hope for a Cameroon without NTDs. Credit: U.S. Embassy, Cameroon
This project is supported through the Act to End NTDs | West program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by FHI360 and Helen Keller International.
At Minkama III, Ambassador Lamora and Dr. Charlotte Moussi, the Centre Regional Delegate for Public Health witnessed the door-to-door distribution of Mectizan by community distributors and gave certificates of appreciation to 50 distributors for their work over the past 10 years in fighting Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), particularly Onchocerciasis, in their community.
Ambassador Lamora stated: “It is good to see that regular drug administration campaigns in Minkama have helped reduce the cases of severe elephantiasis and blindness, giving hope for life without Lymphatic filariasis and Onchocerciasis in Cameroon.” The U.S. government, through USAID, supports delivery of safe, effective medicines to treat NTDs in all 10 regions of Cameroon.