The Grand Commander of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra’ Emmanuel Rousseau, made a working visit to Cameroon from 10 to 14 June, the second to the country since the beginning of his term, taking part in a series of institutional meetings and field visits that confirmed Cameroon’s central role in the Order of Malta’s activities on the continent.
Accompanied by the Sovereign Order of Malta’s Ambassador to Cameroon, Jean-Christophe Heidsieck, and the International Director of Ordre de Malte France, Frédérick Fabry, the Grand Commander met with the country’s highest civil, religious, and health authorities. This visit is part of a historic friendship that dates back to 1961, when Cameroon became the first African country to establish diplomatic relations with the Order of Malta.
During the mission to Yaoundé, the Grand Commander held talks with the Minister of Public Health, Malachie Manaouda, the Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, the Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella, and the Minister of Arts and Culture Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mkpatt. The meetings provided an opportunity to discuss prospects for cooperation between Cameroon and the Order of Malta, with particular focus on strengthening health and social programmes and on new opportunities for collaboration with regards to the most vulnerable communities.
The Grand Commander also met with the Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, Monsignor José Avelino Bettencourt, and the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Republic of Cameroon.
One of the highlights of the visit was the traditional Grand Charity Gala, held in Yaoundé and sponsored by First Lady Chantal Biya to support the Order’s hospital and humanitarian work in the country. In his speech to Cameroonian authorities, benefactors and civil society actors, Fra’ Emmanuel Rousseau emphasised the value of the long-standing partnership between Cameroon and the Order of Malta: “Over more than sixty-five years, we have built a strong and lasting collaboration, founded not just on the friendship between our institutions, but above all on our shared desire to serve people in the most vulnerable situations. Today we look to the future with the same determination, to further strengthen our joint action in the service of Cameroon.”
The visit also provided the opportunity to meet organisations that concretely embody the Order of Malta’s commitment in the country. The Grand Commander visited the Paediatric Oncology Centre, a leading facility for the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancers in Cameroon. On this occasion, a convention was signed between the Chantal Biya Foundation, the Order of Malta France and the PASTEUR Centre to strengthen collaboration for paediatric oncology programmes in the country. The agreement aims to enhance care for young patients, improve access to specialist treatment and support the development of healthcare skills for fighting childhood cancer.
In Njombé, the Grand Commander visited the Saint Jean de Malte Hospital, one of the region’s key health centres. Managed by the Order of Malta France since 2000, the hospital has 126 beds and offers specialist services in emergency care, gynaecology and obstetrics, neonatology, paediatrics, ophthalmology and paediatric oncology. Every year it provides tens of thousands of consultations and is an important training hub for Cameroonian healthcare staff. The visit continued at the First Aid Training Centre (CFAS), where healthcare personnel and rescuers are trained to deal with emergencies in local communities.
Through the work of Ordre de Malte France and Malteser International, the Sovereign Order of Malta supports numerous programmes in Cameroon in the fields of health, training and humanitarian aid. Activities range from maternal and child health to malnutrition prevention, from healthcare training to water and hygiene access programmes, as well as interventions for populations affected by crises and displacement in the most vulnerable regions of the country.
