Douala, Cameroon — From August 16 to 18, U.S. Ambassador Christopher J. Lamora visited Douala to highlight health and educational projects sponsored by the U.S. Government in collaboration with the Government of Cameroon and civil society partners in the Littoral Region.
On Thursday, August 17, Ambassador Lamora had the honor to meet with Littoral Region Governor Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua, His Majesty Jean Yves Eboumbou Manga Bell, King Bell, and His Majesty Frederic James Ekwalla Essaka Ekwalla Deido II, King Deido, to discuss the U.S. Government’s long-standing engagement in Douala and the Littoral Region.
On Friday, August 18, Ambassador Lamora launched the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s health supply chain project on “Increasing Site-level Availability of Health Commodities in the Littoral Region of Cameroon” (ISAHC) at the Regional Fund for Health Promotion in Douala. ISAHC is a three-year project with an anticipated budget of over 588 million FCFA from the U.S. Government awarded to the Cameroon Regional Fund for Health Promotion of the Littoral Region. The project demonstrates USAID’s localization agenda to support Cameroonian organizations, and has the goals of ensuring a sustainable supply of HIV/AIDS medication at health facilities in the Littoral Region and improving medication delivery time.
In his remarks, the Ambassador stated: “We hope the results of the ISAHC project will encourage the extension of the initiative to other regions and enable communities to be the drivers of programs and services that support their own needs.”
On the same day, Ambassador Lamora in partnership with the Douala Regional Linguistic Center inaugurated the American Corner Douala, a cultural and educational center for exploration, conversation, and learning, connecting residents of the city to U.S. culture and opportunities. As the Ambassador noted, “We believe in investing in people, investing in their education and their potential, and the American Spaces programs such as the American Corner Douala exemplify this commitment. Programs here are designed to empower individuals to face today’s challenges and build a brighter tomorrow.”