According to the minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachie, this money will be invested in the implementation of the health policy, developed by the government to provide rapid responses to current public health events.

Since June 15, 2022, PCR tests are chargeable. From now on, the vast majority of travelers who wish to leave the borders of Cameroon must automatically pay the sum of FCFA30,000 to obtain the precious sesame.

An article enshrining this decision was added to the amending finance law adopted by parliament last June. Nearly a month after the introduction of this measure, 19,000 PCR tests have already been sold for an amount of 541.8 million CFA francs, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

The government thinks that these revenues could reach 10 billion CFA francs before the end of this year, if the current trend is maintained. This could contribute to a 5% increase in tax revenue. Manaouda Malachie also clarified that the money that will be collected as part of the sale of its screening devices will be used to strengthen the implementation of initiatives taken by the State of Cameroon, to provide rapid responses to the requirements ongoing health in the country.

The PCR test is required for travelers leaving Cameroon for a destination or transit point that requires a negative test. It ceased to be free in the country on June 15, 2022, in accordance with the “high instructions of the Head of State” through a press release signed on June 13 by the Minister of Public Health.

Payments are made online through the public revenue dematerialization platform hosted by the Ministry of Finance. On the other hand, the Yaoundé public health laboratory, the Laquintinie hospital in Douala and the Garoua regional hospital center have sites where the PCR test can be paid for physically.

However, in a recent press release, the Minister of Public Health noted that PCR tests are no longer obligatory for people leaving country. It is now determined by the country of destination.

The Cameroonian Prime Minister announced as of March 18, 2020, that all land, sea, and air borders would be closed until further notice due to COVID-19. While many airlines have been given permission to resume limited flights, officially the borders’ status is still “closed.”

Cameroon’s Ministry of Public Health has been responding to the COVID-19 outbreak through active surveillance, screening at points of entry, laboratory testing, and case management at designated isolation and treatment centers. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are providing technical support to control the outbreak in Cameroon. Businesses, churches, government offices, and most schools are open and maintain normal hours.

Ingrid KENGNE