Journalists Mobilised to Support River Blindness Elimination Campaign in West Region

The CBC Health Services and its funding partner, Hope and Healing International, in collaboration with the West Regional Delegation of Public Health continue to strengthen efforts to combat river blindness in the West Region of Cameroon. Within the context of River Blindness implemented in the region, the distribution of Mectizan was launched to run through the entire month of May. Mectizan is used to prevent and treat onchocerciasis, the disease that causes river blindness.

To support awareness creation around the campaign, 10 media practitioners from various media organs in the West Region have been trained to produce and disseminate sensitization messages on radio and television in local languages. The one-day training took place on May 7, 2026, at the West Regional Delegation of Public Health and was organised by the Coordinator of Neglected Tropical Diseases for the West Regional Delegation of Public Health, Dr. Nkouongnam Inoussa.

Welcoming participants, Dr. Inoussa explained that the distribution of Mectizan officially started on May 1, 2026, and is expected to continue throughout the month of May. He emphasized the important role the media has continued to play over the years in ensuring the success of the campaign through public sensitization. According to him, the training was organised to help journalists better understand onchocerciasis, which is the main cause of river blindness, as well as the Mectizan distribution process, so they can effectively develop and disseminate messages that will encourage communities to benefit from the campaign.

For his part, the CBC Health Services River Blindness Project Officer, Mr. Kenchi Joseph, reminded participants that blindness caused by onchocerciasis is irreversible and can only be prevented through the regular intake of Mectizan. He noted that people can only benefit from the treatment if they are adequately informed about the campaign. Mr. Kenchi, therefore, called on the journalists to use their professional skills to ensure that communities are well informed about the disease and the importance of taking mectizan. He thanked the media professionals for their collaboration and commitment towards improving the wellbeing of community members.

General Information on Onchocerciasis and its Treatment

Presenting on General Information on onchocerciasis and its treatment, Dr. Inoussa explained that the disease is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the filarial worm and transmitted through the bites of infected blackflies which is present in the West Region. He stated that it causes severe skin itching, rashes, and disfiguring skin conditions like lizard skin. The public health official warned that if left untreated the disease can lead to irreversible blindness. He stressed that the annual intake of Mectizan remains the only effective means of prevention and control.

Dr. Inoussa further explained that the medication is distributed from door to door free of charge through trained community distributors selected from each clan in the various communities. He encouraged the journalists to develop appealing and credible awareness messages to encourage community members to take advantage of the ongoing campaign. He also disclosed that the intervention is currently taking place only in the West Region of Cameroon, thanks to the partnership between the CBC Health Services and its funding partner, Hope and Healing International.

Discussion and Next Steps

The presentation was followed by a discussion session to enable the journalists develop credible and appealing messages to use to raise awareness on their different media platforms. During the session, participants sought clarification on the distribution process, strategies to ensure maximum community coverage, and what community members should do if they do not encounter the community distributors.

The journalists also expressed interest in covering the field distribution exercise and proposed recommendations to strengthen follow-up mechanisms to ensure that no eligible community member is left out during the campaign. The radio and television professionals, left the training committed to intensifying awareness efforts to mobilize communities to benefit from the campaign.

The training was organized with funding from Hope and Healing International which supports the River Blindness project implemented in all 20 health districts of the West Region of Cameroon.