Constant Presidential Solicitude!

Cameroon’s Head of State, Paul Biya, has proven beyond any reasonable doubt his concern for issues of health. Understandably health is wealth and the success of his vision for the country no doubt depends on how healthy the population is. Contributing FCFA 600 million for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation lends credence to how well the Cameroon’s Head of State wants to see his people and world in good shape. Doing so at the time the global scientific community is fulldrawn to get medication for the ravaging coronavirus pandemic is illustrative of President Paul Biya’s goodwill to partner with the rest of the world in seeking a final solution to the destroyer. As a matter of fact, the London Global Vaccine Summit which held via videoconference under the patronage of Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, during which President Paul Biya’s representative, Minister Elung Paul Che, announced the donation; was in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. That President Paul Biya alone chipped in FCFA 600 million in a basket destined to collect about FCFA 43 billion to finance the activities of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation from 2021-2025 speaks of the high esteem the Cameroonian leader has for the health of man. And his efforts, like those of others, have been widely praised. For instance, point six of the 17-point Summit Chair’s summary notes that, “Besides receiving strong endorsements from long-standing Gavi donors, the Summit welcomed eight new sovereign donors who made pledges to Gavi for the first time, including Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Finland, Greece, New Zealand, Portugal and Uganda.” It also shows the Head of State’s logical follow up of his promises to his people. On May 19, 2020 when he addressed the nation on the eve of the 48th National Day; Paul Biya while calling on his fellow compatriots, “…to have trust in public authorities as the Government is fully aware of the gravity of the situation and is prepared to take all necessary measures,” assured that, “I can already state that as soon as a treatment is found, steps will be taken to put it at the disposal of our fellow citizens.” Supporting the global search for the muchneeded treatment is thus reassuring to even sceptics that Mr Biya is going beyond mere talk. His laudable gesture at the just-ended London Summit also demonstrates the relentless Executive attentiveness each time issues of common interest; especially health, are at ...