As part of the fight against cancer, the government is planning to launch a training program in oncology care for healthcare professionals. The project is jointly initiated by the Ministry of Public Health (Minsanté) and the American Cancer Society, an American organization founded in 1913 to fight cancer. It was presented to the Ministry of Higher Education (Minesup) on August 31, to request support from this ministerial department.

The training will be offered online and in class, and will be supported by the University Teaching Hospital of Yaounde (CHUY), we learn. "The aim is to provide the medical profession with skills adapted to Cameroon's real needs in the field of cancerology," says the Minesup, which is to support the project. The Minesup explains that this training program is part of the drive to achieve the objectives of the National Strategic Plan for Cancer Prevention and Control in Cameroon adopted on June 28, 2020. Drawn up by the National Committee for the Fight against Cancer (CNLCA), the Plan is intended to assist with preparation and decision-making, to reduce the incidence of this disease in the country. One of the objectives is to reduce morbidity and mortality due to cancer in Cameroon by "at least 10%".

The major actions to be taken include support to medical professionals (doctors and nurses) in the form of ongoing training programs in oncology. According to health authorities, cancer remains a public health problem in Cameroon, with an average of 15,000 new cases every year.

In 2020, some 13,199 people died of cancer in the country, and 20,745 new cases were diagnosed, of which 12,235 were essentially gynecological (breast and cervical cancer, the most frequent and most fatal), according to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics. This training program in oncology care should equip healthcare staff to improve patient care.

Patricia Ngo Ngouem