Some 50 Small and Medium Sized Enterprises SME amongst other entrepreneurs have been drilled on adopting or remodeling their businesses, have strong environmental commitments thereby mitigating nefarious effects on the environment and reduce the emission of green house gases.
Some Cameroonian youths engaged in environmental issues have shown and reiterated their commitment to fight against climate change prior to the 26th Conference of Parties, COP26, to kick off come November 1, in Glasgow, London.
“… an estimation has been made and in order to implement this process in our country, we need at least FCFA 30,000 billion. This is very important because, we have developed the National Development Strategy 2020-2030,” said Prof. Tchawa Paul, Secretary General at the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, MINEPDED.
He was talking during the two-day workshop to officially launch the review process of the Nationally Determined Contributions, NDC, of Cameroon, held from May 27 to 28, in Yaounde.
According to him, the stakes are that, Cameroon wants to achieve its 2030 emergence goal and reducing emissions remains a great challenge. To solve this issue, he noted that, adjusting the consumption pattern is paramount otherwise the country will be dipped into serious climatic difficulties.
“This really needs funds. But unfortunately, the coronavirus crisis is likely to re-orient some of these funds towards health operations,” MINEPDED SG said while reiterating the importance of the document for the upcoming 26th Conference Of Parties, COP26.
“Cameroon for its part has committed itself like other countries and this commitment was initially around 23%, but today we realise that if we limit ourselves to this figure, the account will not be done, we will not reach the global objective of reduction at the rate of 1.5°. This is why, in accordance with the Paris Agreement, each country must once again make efforts, and how will these efforts be made? These efforts will be made in the main sectors, which are agriculture and energy, so our production system must be conducted in such a way that it emits the least possible greenhouse gases, and this is measurable,” he added.
Thus, the said revision will be carried to the next COP as it is expected and required. And, it is on the basis of these commitments that Cameroon will be able to access the different sources of support and financial mechanisms that will enable them implement the plan because, the NDC is the contribution at the national level, it is the commitment that each country holds within the framework of the Paris Agreement.
On his part, the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Alassane Ba, the objective of the National Determined Contribution is to define numerical objectives in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and put forth Cameroon’s contribution to achieve this objective that has been set at the global level for the mitigation of global warming.
“The UNDP as well as all technical and financial partners, we assist the government of Cameroon to ensure that we can exploit in a sustainable way natural resources, limit the degradation of land and biodiversity and for that, we intervene through a certain number of programs with the participation of the regional structures as the COMIFAC and other structures which accompany us in the actions of support to the government of Cameroon,” Alassane Ba explained.
He averred that, “it is to ensure that we have sustainable production systems, not only in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, our industries and services, but also to ensure that we can limit deforestation. We are in the Central African Region, we have vast expanses of forest that in the same way as the Amazon in America constitute an important vegetation cover for the whole continent.”
So, ensuring the management of forests is the most sustainable and can limit deforestation, land degradation, because the consequences are floods, drought. “We feel it more when we go to the North of the country. We at the UNDP level will provide technical assistance but also financial assistance to enable the government of Cameroon to revise its NDC and bring its document to the COP26 in Glasgow,” UNDP Deputy Resident Representative pledged.
A group of researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo found that HIV could be eventually cured following the discovery of an unusual large group of HIV carriers whose bodies naturally control HIV without the use of antiretroviral treatments. These people are referred to as “HIV elite controllers ”.
The information was released on Tuesday March 02, by Abbott, a pharmaceutical company that disclosed that, the findings from the study could lead researchers closer to their goal of ending the HIV epidemic
The team of scientists include Researchers from Abbott, the Johns Hopkins University, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the Université Protestante au Congo.
They have discovered that the prevalence of HIV elite controllers was 2.7-4.3% in the DRC , compared to a 0.1-2% prevalence worldwide. This new research will fuel additional studies that look to understand this unique immune response.
Mary Rodgers, the study's lead scientist and head of Abbott's global viral surveillance programme, pointed out that the study found that as much as 4% of HIV carriers in the Democratic Republic of Congo were able to suppress the virus. While most people living with HIV have to take antirétrovirale medicines daily to suppress the virus and reduce their viral load.
Going by Dr Rodgers, “if we can understand which part of their immune response was responsible for that, it can help develop vaccines that are tailored for that kind of an immune response…It gives us a lot of hope because it means that instead of just a few people as seen in earlier studies, this shows 1000s of people in DRC who could be teaching us about how we could unlock a cure or develop better vaccines to end HIV,” she said.
This study could therefore serve as springboard for further research to develop a vaccine or new treatments to tackle the virus that causes AIDS.
“When we first started to see the data coming in from the study we were surprised, but we were also elated,… This could mean that this is something that we can actually cure,” Dr Rodgers said.
The head of Abbott's global viral surveillance programme, said the group in DR Congo was the biggest detected in one country, between 2.7% and 4.3% . Another 1% of people living with HIV in Cameroon were also identified as controlling the virus well without medication
Details on the findings were published in EbioMedicine, part of the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. Abbott holds that this "may help researchers uncover biological trends within this population that could lead to advancements in HIV treatments and potentially vaccines,
It is worth noting that, Abbott is the first company to develop an FDA-approved test for HIV more than 30 years ago. Besides, the latest findings from Abbott researchers and partners are a continuation of virus hunting efforts that led to the identification of a new strain of HIV in 2019.
Since the beginning of the global HIV epidemic, 76 million people have been infected with HIV and 38 million people today are living with the virus.
By Fabiola k
The Young Volunteers for the Environment, JVE Cameroon, and the IPEN Network have called on the some ministries to ensure paints imported and sold in the Cameroonian market are free given its impacts on human health and the environment.
Cameroon has received a donation worth 200,000 doses of one of China’s COVID-19 vaccines developed by the Chinese firm Sinopharm. The donation in the form of vaccines comes to concretise a promise made by the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, to make the vaccine a public good especially to developing countries.
The first consignment that arrived Cameroon’s International Airport Nsimalen, Sunday April 11, 2021, was received by Prime Minister, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute, barely few days after Public Health Minister, Manaouda Malachie signed a statement announcing its arrival.
The vaccines that are a donation from the Chinese government has allowed the country to finally begin its vaccination campaign on April 12, after a first miss, thus, a means to tighten diplomatic affiliation between both countries.
The 200,000 doses of Sinopharm’s vaccine has led to the launching of the first phase of a vaccination plan that will be administered in two injections to 100,000 people.
According to Cameroon’s Head of Government, the gifts are a symbol of the long-lasting friendship that exist between China and Cameroon. “This gift which is a testimony of our good relations with China. We know that this vaccine is used in at least 60 countries already and we will note that China itself is in need of this vaccine. So, to have sent 200,000 vaccines to us is a sign of friendship.”
He went further to urge all health stakeholders who happen to be at the centre stage of this ravaging health crisis to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Thus, Cameroon counts more than 500 vaccination centers set up nationwide. Going by the guidelines of the vaccination plan, the vaccines will be dispatched and administered as soon as they arrive. Which plan indicates that health workers, the elderly with pre-existing health problems, public transport drivers and teachers as the main target.
“… I would like to say that the Minister of Public Health will organise as from today the dispatching of this to the entire territory. The priority is first to the health personnel, nurses, doctors. They are the ones who are taking care of us and they should be given priority to be vaccinated so that they can take care of us.”
“As far as I am concerned, I am prepared to take this vaccine anytime because the health professionals have told us that, that is the best way to end this pandemic which is in our country for over a year now,” PM Dion Ngute stated while reassuring the Cameroonian people of his willingness to get vaccinated as well.
The country was expecting 1.7 million doses of this vaccine back in March 20 thanks to the Covax mechanism, a global initiative aimed at guaranteeing access to vaccines for developing countries. But the authorities had to revise their plan because of the adverse effects observed in people who had been vaccinated in the Western part of the globe.
According to figures updated as of April 8, Cameroon had 61,731 confirmed cases for 56,926 recoveries and 919 deaths. 3886 cases are active, of which 114 are under oxygen, in a nation that harbours approximately 26 million people given that, it is one of the most affected countries in Africa.
Zimbabwe and Senegal have both received 200,000 doses each of the Sinapharm Vaccine donated by the Chinese government in a bid to roll out vaccination campaigns against the COVID-19 variant.
Zimbabwe has launched its COVID-19 vaccination programme today, February 18, 2021 subsequent to the COVID-19 variant first discovered in neighbouring South Africa that has already made over 60% of cases within its borders.
The country’s Vice-President, Constantino Chiwenga was therefore first to receive the Sinapharm vaccine at Harare's Wilkins Hospital.
Chiwenga said on Tuesday that the vaccination programme, which is free of charge, is targeting at least 10 million people, roughly 60% of the population. To this effect, 60,000 healthcare workers shall be vaccinated in the first round. And will be followed by the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
However, Zimbabwe is planning to get another 600,000 doses by March to widen its vaccination campaign.
On his part, President Macky Sall of Senegal is expecting another 6.5 million doses in the coming weeks in addition to the 200,000 doses of Sinapharm vaccines received on Wednesday from the Chinese Company.
This is because Senegal has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases and several deaths in recent weeks. To date, the country has recorded about 31,771 confirmed cases and over 769 deaths.
Senegal aims to inoculate around 90% of a targeted 3.5 million people, including health workers and high-risk individuals between the ages of 19 and 60 years old, by the end of 2021.
President Macky Sall like Constantino Chiwenga did not wait to receive doses from the World Health Organisation’s, WHO, Covax scheme, which aims to make the vaccine easier for developing nations to buy them. Rather, they paid a huge amount to for the campaign to kick off this month.
However, health official says, the Sinapharm vaccine is 79% effective, and has shown some success against the variant discovered in South Africa.
The Young Volunteers for the Environment, JVE, Cameroon and the Land and Development Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, have listed some of the disadvantages of heavy metals that are contained in plastic products on the human health and the ecosystems.
To them, heavy metals contained in plastic products, notably those used by children are could cause illnesses in the long run after accumulation in the system.
The information was revealed during an exchange with media practitioners on August 3, in Yaounde. This activity is part of the implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, SAICM, in Cameroon, reason for the launch in 2020 of the campaign against and the bio-monitoring of toxics in plastic products meant for children.
Acting under the umbrella of the International Pollutants Network, IPEN, JVE and its partner aim at eliminating or mitigating these dangerous chemical substances in products sold in Cameroonian markets.
Thus, going by a list of chemicals potentially toxic to human health and the environment alike, SAICM stated that, aside arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium are particularly scaring as they last longer in organisms.
“Heavy metals are mainly stored in the bones, liver, kidneys, and brain. In humans, they can affect the nervous system, kidney, liver and respiratory glands. Some, such as cadmium, arsenic, nickel and chromium are carcinogenic. Exposure to high doses of heavy metals is therefore implicated in much severe pathology,” stated the NGOs.
Pathologies such as sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, lungs, respiratory and digestive cancers as well as renal failures could also result from the accumulation of these metals in ones system. They can equally trigger psychological and neurological disorders like autism as they can lessen reproduction chances.
To them, the presence of cadmium and chromium, even in very small quantities can alter intellectual capacities and cause developmental delay in children in children. As a result, parents and guidance are urged to mind what they buy for their children, and should they buy, ensure their kids do not put they toys in their mouths.
Therefore, the bio-monitoring campaign for toxic heavy metals in manufactured plastic products is focused on children because they are the most exposed and vulnerable targets of this source of pollution.
It should be noted that, these metals are naturally present in the environment at very low levels, and are harmless to human health and the ecosystems. But, pose a real problem when they are deliberately added to certain articles by the producers as explained Achille Ngakeng, Regional Coordinator of IPEN Francophone Africa.
“Scientific studies show that very high levels of heavy metals have been found in some cosmetic products, in several foods including fish, vegetables, fruits, coffee and other items such as jewellery, toys, plastic dolls,” the parties added.
As a result, JVE Cameroon and Land and Development purchased some samples of plastic items that were tested in an approved laboratory in the Czech Republic. The results showed that, most of the products do not contain high metals bur require special attention. The analysis and interpretation of the results revealed that;
“Slippers, shoes, overalls, baby bottles, teats…made of plastics and sold on our markets are likely to contain toxic heavy metals. Cadmium and chromium were found in abnormally high quantities in some of the sampled items.”
The non-governmental organisations call on the authorities, academics, specialised NGOs and other researchers to do more work on this issue so as to shed light on the increasingly proven toxicity of plastic items, particularly those produced by recycling.
Cameroonian youths have shown their commitment on ensuring a smooth and suitable energy transition and combating climate change in Cameroon simultaneously.
They assured their commitment during a two-day workshop held under the theme “Climate and Energy in Cameroon: Contribution of young people to sustainable development.” The seminar to commemorate the Youth Week for Energy and Climate held from March 29-30 at the Yaounde National Polytechnic School.
The Youth Week for Energy and Climate, an initiative of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the non-gains organisation Young Volunteers for the Environment, JVE, and the Yaounde National Polytechnic School which is to become an annual event had as objectives to put research and endogenous knowledge at the service of public policies, enhance the value of research work so that it contributes to a better formulation and implementation of climate and energy policies in Cameroon.
Also, it aims at providing space for exchange between academic and political institutions, in order to identify and guarantee the best conditions for the operational implementation of proposed solutions and those already in practice.
It is also geared towards creating a framework for the sharing of experiences of young people who have proven the effectiveness of their research results through their actions. To stimulate greater commitment of young people to research and innovation in the field of renewable energy to fight against climate change.
Getting enriched with resources from key sources such as Dr. Parfait Oumba of the Catholic University of Central Africa, Timothée KAGONBE who is national focal point climate change, Augustin Bitchik Bi Bitchik, expert on climate policy among other speakers, the young researchers and students were able to exhibit their know-how and promote their activities, as well as the results of their work and initiatives undertaken within the framework of the selected themes.
Sessions were animated on climate adaptation in Cameroon; the interest of a climate commitment of Cameroonian youth; youth and climate; sustainable energy in Cameroon; the contribution of youth in the energy transition in Cameroon.
According to Dr. Parfait Oumba of UCAC, anthropic activity is the main cause of climate change. The awareness of climate change has been motivated by several factors. Notably the Stockholm Conference of 1972, industrialisation, the Brundtland Report of 1987, the Rio Conference of 1992 and the Paris Conference of 2015. The demands of the international community on the climate issue are numerous.
They challenge all the countries of the planet. These requirements are, the sustainable management of human resources, adaptation to climate change, the objectives of sustainable development, the use of renewable energies, national communication on climate change and the national strategy to combat climate change.
In this wise, Cameroon’s contribution is geared to geared towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In terms of integration of concepts related to the fight against climate change in the curriculum, it should be noted that there are adjustments to be made by also strengthening teachers’ capacities. Thus, the creation of a module that can deal with climate issues is paramount.
Going by Timothée Kagonbe, the earth’s temperature will increase by 6°celsius by 2100. This increase will have as direct consequences, the acidification of the oceans, the loss of biodiversity, the food crisis, the scarcity of water resources, the rise of the sea level by four meters, the disappearance of coastal cities like Kribi and Limbe.
However, to avoid this disaster, the rise in global temperature must be maintained at 2°celsius. He therefore called the world as a whole to implement measures to facilitate mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
During the workshop, young researchers received training on the mobilisation of financial resources to develop their research, biogas manufacturing, small hydro, biomass capitalisation as well as other innovative techniques.
According to the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (NCCAP), approximately 320,000 Cameroonians are affected by climate-related disasters each year. The consequences of climate change could undermine Cameroon’s efforts to reduce poverty, develop a strong, diversified and competitive economy, and thus undermine the “Vision 2035” goal of becoming an emerging country within 15 years.
Cameroon has a total installed capacity of 1292 MW, distributed as follows: 57% hydro, 21% gas-fired, 10% light fuel and 13% heavy fuel. The country aims to produce 25% of renewable energy by 2030, broken down as follows: 11% from small hydroelectricity, 7% from biomass, 6% from solar photovoltaic energy and 1% from wind energy.
Given the low use of renewable energies, whose under-exploitation deprives more than 10 million people in the country of electricity, increasing the capacity of sustainable energies could bring balance to the national energy mix, which is dominated by hydroelectricity at more than 90%.
South Africa begins its COVID-19 vaccination programme with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine after receiving 80,000 doses of the vaccine on Tuesday.
South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize were the first to be given the single dose vaccine along with healthcare workers as part of observational study to kick off the vaccination campaign.
In a bid to dissipate fears amongst South Africans sceptical about the spread of all misinformation on the vaccine, President Ramaphosa indicated that, “This day marks a milestone for South Africa. Finally, the vaccines are here, and they are being administered,” he said shortly after receiving the vaccine.
Besides, Ramaphosa urged healthcare workers to get the vaccine, “taking the vaccine was quick, easy and not so painful. I urge all our healthcare workers to register to receive their vaccinations as they are our first line of defence against the coronavirus pandemic.” He added.
South Africa which is Africa’s worst-hit country was due to start its vaccine rollout last week after receiving early in February, one million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from India. But, the vaccination campaign was delayed following a study that showed ineffective results against the country's new Covid-19 variant.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will therefore be administered to 100,000 people first, in order to observe its possible sides effects, before spreading the vaccine to the entire nation. However, the country have secured nine million doses in total and more doses are expected according to President Ramaphosa.
Besides , South African officials say the country has secured 20 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, with deliveries expected to begin at the end of March. The goal is by the end of the year to have immunised 40 million people, or 67 percent of the population.
The single-dose vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson is the first to be used outside a clinical trial and is not yet approved for general use anywhere in the world. However, the vaccine has been shown to offer 57 percent protection against moderate to severe COVID-19 infections caused by a more transmissible new variant.
“Apart from bilateral deals with manufacturers, South Africa is sourcing its vaccines from the World Health Organization-backed Covax scheme, as well as through an African Union programme”, quoted from BBC
Covax is a global initiative in which countries pool their resources to support the development of vaccines with a view to ensure that all countries receive a fair supply of effective vaccines.
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