On April 11 in Yaoundé, officials from the Ministry of Public Health provided an update on the management of salaries, payment of salary arrears, and staff promotions within the department. According to the ministry, salary arrears accumulated for the 2023 fiscal year will be fully paid by July 2024. “Regarding advancements, which started in February, around 8,500 staff members will receive their advancements by year-end, with an estimated financial impact of XAF4 billion,” the Ministry of Public Health stated on its Facebook account.

The decision to pay the entitlements owed to health staff follows a wave of discontent among them, culminating in March 2022 with the formation of the “On a trop supporté-Santé” movement. Following several strike threats in hospitals, the government committed to settling the debt owed to healthcare staff. A recent meeting of the ministry’s human resources managers revealed that “each month, one billion euros is allocated for salary and promotion arrears, as well as other types of files, including family benefits, hardship allowances, etc.”

The Ministry has thus pledged to continue the process of settling the entitlements of health staff, prioritizing cases with outstanding arrears, and ensuring that staff do not experience long waits for their payments.

L.A.