From August 27 to 31, a delegation from the VII Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), responsible for the PACUS project, and staff from the Yaoundé office of AICS Niamey, conducted a monitoring mission in Cameroon. This initiative is part of a project funded under the Public Notice for the “Promotion of Territorial Partnerships and Territorial Implementation of the 2030 Agenda.”
The PACUS project (Municipal Partnerships for the COVID-19 Epidemiological Emergency) is implemented by the Municipality of Vasanello and the Province of Viterbo in collaboration with SYCOME (Syndicate of Municipalities of the Menoua Department), Eurobiopark, PIPAD (Integrated Project for the Promotion of Self-Development), CNR-ISB (National Research Council’s Institute for Biological Systems), and the CLIRAP association.
During the mission, numerous activities carried out by the project were evaluated, including the creation of a Departmental Operations Center (COD) for the prevention and management of health and environmental emergencies, and the implementation of a pilot telematic health registry at the regional hospital in Dschang. Additionally, the mission monitored the installation of six drinking water stations in municipalities across the region, community outreach activities on health and environmental emergency prevention, and the conduct of epidemiological and serological studies for the prevention and control of waterborne diseases and pandemics. The launch of a re-granting project was also assessed, including the creation of the “Youth House,” which includes a multimedia center, a space for women and young women, a local civil protection center, and an office for tourism development. Furthermore, wells were rehabilitated to improve access to drinking water and sanitation services, with special attention to schools and healthcare facilities.
The mission confirmed the effectiveness of the actions taken, which are leading to significant improvements in local communities, strengthening the health and environmental resilience of the region.