Cameroon’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy Organisations and Handicrafts have witnessed significant growth, rising from 287,316 SMEs in 2019 to 472,208 in 2025, marking a 6.5% increase compared to the previous year.
These statistics were revealed during the 15th edition of the 2025 SME statistical data review, a session chaired by the Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III.
Cameroon has joined the international community to celebrate the 16th edition of the International Widows’ Day, observed under the theme “Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows.”
The commemoration serves as a reminder of the challenges many widows continue to face, ranging from social exclusion and discrimination to economic vulnerability.
Speaking during a press briefing in Yaounde, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Professor Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa, called on the public to change their perception of widows and accord them the dignity, respect and support they deserve.
Here is an excerpt of the minister’s message.
Thirteen suspects linked to a human trafficking and fraudulent recruitment network were presented to the press on June 22, 2026, at the National Gendarmerie headquarters in Yaoundé.
The suspects include six coordinators and seven representatives accused of operating under the cover of network marketing schemes.
According to the Deputy Director of Central Coordination at the National Gendarmerie, Colonel Atangana Fiacre Kisito, investigations were launched at the beginning of 2026 following numerous complaints from Cameroonians and citizens of neighboring countries, particularly Nigeria.
The investigations uncovered a structured network operating under names such as QNET, IGNITE, UNIMEC and other local variants. The group allegedly targeted students, unemployed youths, recent graduates facing financial difficulties and individuals seeking opportunities abroad.
Authorities say victims were lured with promises of employment, training and better prospects overseas before being required to pay substantial registration fees. Many were housed in communal residences and subjected to psychological pressure aimed at recruiting additional members.
Security services have identified hundreds of victims, with more than 6,000 individuals reportedly registered across several cities, including Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam, Ebolowa, Bertoua, Maroua, Garoua and Ngaoundéré.
Investigations revealed that the network operated through a hierarchical structure involving leaders, recruiters and victims. Some victims were reportedly transferred through Garoua to Nigeria, while foreign nationals were also integrated into local cells.
While thirteen suspects are now in custody and expected to face justice, two alleged leaders believed to be in the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic remain on the run and are actively being sought after.
The National Gendarmerie has urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious recruitment offers, promises of overseas employment or pressure to join such schemes. Authorities say efforts are continuing to dismantle the network, identify its financial channels and support victims through reintegration measures.
Egoh Yvonne (Intern)
C’était ce vendredi 12 juin 2026 à Mimetala, dans l’arrondissement de Mfou, département de la Mefou et Afamba dans le Centre.
Au total, deux maisons de retraite ont reçu la visite de la délégation du ministère des Affaires sociales menée par la Secrétaire générale de ce ministère, Panje Beryl Itoh, représentante de la ministre. Il s’agit du « Foyer Sainte Louise de Marillac » et de « La Maison de Nazareth ».
Promouvoir la solidarité intergénérationnelle
Cette visite qui intervient en prélude à la célébration de la Journée Mondiale de Sensibilisation contre la Maltraitance des Personnes Agées, édition 2026, prévue le 15 juin, a permis à la représentante de la ministre des Affaires sociales, de souligner l’importance de protéger les droits de ces personnes du troisième âge. « Les personnes âgées avec leur sagesse et leur expérience ont contribué énormément au développement de notre société », a-t-elle rappelé. D’où, selon elle, la nécessité d’une solidarité intergénérationnelle, afin qu’elles sachent qu’elles n’ont pas été abandonnées.
Une solidarité qui s’est notamment traduite par la remise des dons de natures diverses dans ces lieux de repos, en présence des autorités administratives, traditionnelles et religieuses locales. « Ces cadeaux expriment déjà l’attachement que le ministère a envers les personnes vulnérables et les personnes âgées », a fait remarquer Sœur Régine Cyrille Ngono Bounoungou, Supérieure générale des filles de Marie, responsables de « La Maison de Nazareth », l’une des maisons visitées. La religieuse a, en outre, saisi l’occasion pour émettre le vœu que se poursuivent de telles attentions de l’Etat à leur égard.
Prévenir les maltraitances
Célébrée chaque année le 15 juin, la Journée mondiale de sensibilisation à la maltraitance des personnes âgées se célèbre cette année 2026 sous le thème : « Au-delà de la sensibilisation : faire en sorte que la prévention de la maltraitance des personnes âgées fonctionne ». Elle a été instituée par les Nations Unies, afin de briser le silence autour de cette question de santé publique et promouvoir les droits et le bien-être des aînés.
Aline-Florence Nguini
Cameroon organized its maiden HIV, TB and malaria Open-Door Day in the capital, Yaoundé, on June 18, to showcase Global Fund-sponsored health projects in the country.
The country’s Public Health Minister, Dr. Manaouda Malachie, representing the Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute, chaired the event themed, “Performance and Accountability: The Key Results of the Global Fund’s Financing and the Expertise France Initiative against Malaria, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis in Cameroon.”
“We organized this day to amplify sensitization and advocacy. We want to get everyone involved. It will no longer be a single actor fighting against these diseases, but the entire national and international community. We are calling on communities, parliamentarians, institutions, and the private and public sectors to mobilize to fight these diseases.”
As external funding dwindles, the government of Cameroon is exploring other funding alternatives to continue the HIV/TB and malaria elimination agenda.
Government members, health organizations, civil society organizations and community health organizations turned up for the event to commend the Global Fund’s over 15 years commitment to saving lives in the country.
HIV, TB and Malaria Prevalence
According to the 2024 Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (CamPHIA) 2024/2025 report, 509,766 people in Cameroon are HIV positive. This figure represents a 2.6% prevalence rate.
The National Malaria Control Programme(NMCP) recorded 2,943,674 malaria cases in 2025, alongside 1,261 deaths, 909 of them children under five. Malaria remains a public health concern in the country, and Cameroon is the 11th country most affected by the disease worldwide.
Tuberculosis data shows that 38,472 cases, about 132 infections per 100,000 people, were recorded in the country in 2024. The mortality rate linked to TB is 17 per 100,000 people.
Spin-Offs of the Global Fund’s Grants in Cameroon
The Global Fund began financing public health programmes to combat HIV, TB and malaria in Cameroon in December 2004. Since then, the international health organization has remained committed to strengthening the health system, helping vulnerable populations and partnering with community leaders to address health problems.
Saving lives and preventing infections in Cameroon has costed the Global Fund an estimated 750 billions FCFA for HIV, TB and malaria control . This amount is stratified as follows: HIV/AIDS, 418 billion FCFA; tuberculosis, 42 billion FCFA; HIV/TB co-infection, 39 billion FCFA; and malaria, 270 billion FCFA.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, this investment has enabled the procurement of antiretroviral drugs for about 450,000 persons with living with HIV, provided treatment for close to 30,000 TB patients, and facilitated the distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) distributed to about 890,000 homes.
In addition to this are related projects sponsored by « Expertise France », particularly “Equité Access Palu,” carried out by Impact Santé Afrique, the secretariat for the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) and the Civil Society for Malaria Elimination (CS4ME). The “Equité Access Palu,” is aimed at streamlining inequalities in access to malaria prevention and treatment, especially in vulnerable communities.
“We were able to distribute mosquito nets to orphanages in Cameroon, empower community leaders to eliminate malaria, and break gender barriers regarding the fight against malaria,” Amélie Claire MedjouKeng, gender expert at Impact Santé Afrique, told CRTV Web.
Another key actor of the national response to HIV, TB and malaria is Expertise France. Expertise France has been instrumental in strengthening health systems and fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria in Cameroon. The regional health adviser at Expertise France, Prof. Christophe Vanhecke, presented a report on his country’s investment in health projects in Cameroon during the inaugural HIV, TB and malaria Open-Door Day in Yaoundé. He stated that Expertise France remains dedicated to financing ongoing health infrastructure and projects in Cameroon. »
“France is the second historic partner of the Global Fund and spent over 1.6 billion euros for the 7th Global Fund cycle . The current international context no longer permits such investments to be made. France has made a commitment of 660million euros for the 8th replenishment of the Global Fund, and we are still among the big sponsors,” Prof. Christophe Vanhecke, regional health adviser at « Expertise France », said.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria remains one of the principal donors to Cameroon’s national response . For the current funding cycle, the Fund has allocated about 205,149,000 euros, approximately 134 billion FCFA to the country’s national programme.
Kathy Neba Sina