The effective decentralisation process of the response strategy in the fight against the COVID-19 has helped in Cameroon posting positive figures, officials of the Ministry of Public Health have said.

During the regular daily press briefings at the Emergency Operations Coordination Centre in Yaounde, the Incident Manager, Dr Fanne Mahamat said the decentralization of the response strategy to involve community leaders at various stages has been one of the major catalyst for Cameroon’s success in the fight against the pandemic.

“The decentralization of the national multisector response strategy has enabled the implementation of more appropriate and contextualized interventions for a more efficient response,” she said.

The response strategy coordinated at the level of regions by Governors with the collaboration of local councils and community leaders significantly contributed in the effectiveness of the 3T (track, test and treat), hence the rise in the number of tests carried out as well as the number of recoveries.

“In the seventh month of the response, actions undertaken by the government and its partners have achieved satisfactory results including a recovery rate of 94,12 percent and a lethality rate of 2,08 percent,” she said.

However, with Cameroon and several countries preparing to open their borders as well as other activities which could favour social contact like the Regional elections, the new school year and the launch of various sports activities and competitions, there could be a risk of a spike in new case, Dr Fanne Mahamat said. Government has however taken measure to ensure the economic, social and cultural return to normal life while preserving the health of the population, she reassured.