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This report is produced by OCHA Cameroon in collaboration with the COVID-19 Task force. The reports cover the period from 1 to 26 June 2020. The next report will be issued on 29 July 2020.

HIGHLIGHTS

• WHO and OCHA supported the Cameroon response to COVID 19 with the recruitment of more than 45 local staffs (41 epidemiologists and 04 information management officers)

• CERF-funded UNDP project will provide one million IIR medical masks to crisisaffected regions

• Health workers at increased risk of infection: as of 24 June, 458 health workers were infected

• The Government has opted for massive testing. The Ministry of Health has announced the acquisition of 100,000 rapid tests and the opening of new sample collection centers

• The Government is preparing the response and the Social Economic Resilience Strategy to COVID-19 with the support of the UN

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Surpassing 12,600 cases, Cameroon is the fourth most affected country in Africa, after South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana.
The cases are rising, and the peak has not been reached yet, signalling a need for urgent support in a country already tackling multiple humanitarian emergencies, including escalating violence and displacement. The situation is changing daily with more health personnel tested positive for COVID-19.
Analysis by gender and age shows that men are more infected than women, representing respectively 64% and 36%, the age group most affected is 20 - 49 years (66% cases).
The Government took different measures to alleviate the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on the population. A Government decree is providing total exemption from customs duties and taxes on the import of equipment to prevent and combat COVID-19.
Regarding education, one of the most affected sectors, classes have resumed for students having to take end of cycle exams in secondary and primary schools.

The country has almost already reached its target of conducting 50,000 tests by the end of June, specifically as of 18 June, approximately 44,000 tests have been conducted.
Humanitarian and development partners including national and international NGOs are scaling up their respective areas of intervention to provide a holistic response to the crisis on the ground.
In support of the Government’s decentralisation strategy, WHO has launched a recruitment process of 30 local experts who will join the team of 35 who were previously recruited. OCHA has made six epidemiologists and four Information managers and logistic officers available to the Ministry of Health who will be deployed to different regions to strengthen the incident management system.
On the logistical level, the WFP-initiated humanitarian flights through the Global Air Service continue. Two flights are scheduled per week, subject to compliance with the conditions required by the administration, namely submitting a flight request five working days in advance comprising the passenger list with a copy of passport with an entry visa and a negative COVID-19 test result.
The assessment of entry points and training activities for the staff members continue under the leadership of IOM.
International NGOs such as Plan International, NRC, IMC, DRC, and the French Red Cross are carrying out response support activities in the following sectors: WASH, through the provision of community handwashing kits, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), including community awareness and training of community health workers, and education through support for students preparing for the certificate of primary education (certificate d’études primaires,

CEP).

Gaps & constraints

The response continues through the decentralisation of the incident management system, but some gaps and constraints are yet to overcome, notably:

• Coordination: insufficient decentralisation support measures.

• Monitoring: inadequate data analysis consolidation and the lack of promptness in reporting data.

• Case management: lack of medical equipment for severe cases (respirators oxygen extractors).

• Laboratory: molecular tests are lacking, two regions (South and West) are yet to have laboratories for the diagnosis of COVID-19.

• Management of health personnel