US raises healthcare funding to Cameroon

As part of its growing cooperation with Cameroon, the United States of America will increase its funding to the country’s healthcare system next year.

Making the disclosure in Yaounde last week, at the celebration of the 238th anniversary of his country’s independence, the Chargé d’Affaires, Gregory D.

Thome, said the amount will be increased from about 4 million Dollars (about FCFA 1.9 billion) in 2011 to over 50 million Dollars (about FCFA 24 billion) in 2015.

He explained that the increase will come mostly from the President’s Emergency Programme for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR.

The money is intended for the upgrading of health and laboratory systems, combating polio and enabling Cameroon to become AIDS-free.

Describing Cameroon as America’s “natural partner,” he acknowledged the role Cameroonians are playing in the world economy as the country moves toward emerging nation status by 2035.

The US Embassy, he disclosed, facilitated a dramatic increase in bilateral trade between the two countries in the last three years.

Last year, US exports to Cameroon more than doubled under President Obama’s National Export Initiative while an increasing number of Cameroonian exporters are also achieving success in the American market.

Gregory Thome added that many important, untapped opportunities still exist in the US for Cameroonian businesses.

America and Cameroon, he pointed out, are fully engaged with the African Union and the UN to find solutions to the conflict in the Central African Republic, CAR, with success also achieved in the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

America is actively involved in helping Cameroon to bolster security along its frontiers and in providing assistance to CAR refugees in the country.

Under President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative, 12 young Cameroonians will travel to US universities this summer on a new fellowship programme that will increase next year.

In all, the Embassy is sponsoring over 60 Cameroonians this year to America on short-term educational and training opportunities. America’s Acting Ambassador noted with pride that Cameroon is the fourth African nation with the highest student enrolment in US universities.

The government was represented at the event by the Vice Prime Minister, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, Amadou Ali and the Minister of External Relations, Prof. Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo.