Emilie Filou reports on the challenges of eliminating river blindness from Africa by 2025

Good afternoon and welcome to our Member States briefing on CERF for 2012.

I want to give you an overview of how CERF has been used this year. I will also focus on some of the lessons learned from our country reviews and I will brief you on progress with the management response plan that was developed in response to the Five-Year Evaluation.

Résumé du Rapport

For many years, the countries of Central Africa have been suffering from the effects of epidemics and endemic diseases, as well as natural and man-made disasters. Conflicts have led to significant population displacements and put at further risk vulnerable groups that are already challenged to provide for themselves. Recently, the increasingly high cost of living has added a further burden to Central African populations.

On November 23rd 2011 a special issue of Intervention, 'the International Journal of Mental Health, Psychosocial Work and Counselling in Areas of Armed Conflict' will be published. This issue contains 220 pages and was financially supported by the UNHCR through an unrestricted grant. The theme of this issue is:

'The integration of mental health into existing health systems during and after complex emergencies'

Based in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the Federation's Central Africa Regional Representation (CARREP) covers the following eight countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo (RoC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe. However, the DRC and Chad have country representations and thus separate plans. A joint plan has been prepared for Cameroon, CAR, RoC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe. Acting from its

The Federation's West and Central Africa Sub-zone (WCAZ) priorities are guided by the following strategic initiatives intended to support the development and work of National Societies: the Global Agenda Goals and the Framework for Action, Strategy 2010, the African Red Cross and Red Crescent Health Initiative (ARCHI) 2010 and decisions coming out from Pan African Conferences such as the Algiers Plan of Action and the Johannesburg Commitment.

Working within these initiatives, the West and Central Africa sub-zone immediate focus is to support National