On January 16, 2025, a handover ceremony was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where the U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon, Christopher J. Lamora, presented laboratory supplies procured by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The event took place at the Public Health Emergency Operations Center with Cameroon's Minister of Public Health Dr. Manaouda Malachie and other public health officials in attendance.
The U.S. Government funded the renovation of Cameroon's National Public Health Laboratory in 2016 to enhance laboratory testing coordination and ensure compliance with international standards. This facility manages laboratory testing activities, quality control programs, and hosts training sessions and workshops.
The CDC's International Task Force acquired laboratory supplies valued at CFA 63 million francs ($100,000), which were delivered in collaboration with UNICEF. These supplies aim to bolster national laboratory capacity to detect emerging infectious diseases such as Mpox, cholera, whooping cough, COVID-19, among others.
This donation highlights the partnership between the U.S. government and Cameroon. As stated by Ambassador Lamora: "Strengthening public health capacity is a key goal of the American mission in Cameroon, which is achieved through numerous U.S. Government Agencies as well as international partnerships."