Visionary Reports

On May 8, 2026, the economic capital of Cameroon transformed into the nerve center of African pediatrics. The Cameroonian Society of Pediatrics (SOCAPED) officially inaugurated the 5th African Pediatric Realities Days (JRPA) at the Best Western Hotel, rallying experts around a theme that serves as both a clinical focus and a cry for help: “Oxygen Therapy in Pediatric Care.”In the opening sessions, the atmosphere was one of palpable urgency. For the assembled clinicians, the message was clear: medical oxygen must no longer be viewed as a supplementary treatment, but as an essential medicine on par with antibiotics or life-saving vaccines.Professor David Chelo, President of SOCAPED, opened the congress with a sobering analysis of the current landscape. He noted that for children facing neonatal respiratory distress, severe pneumonia, or sickle cell crises, immediate access to oxygen is the thin line between survival and tragedy.”Oxygen is not a luxury; it is an essential medicine,” Professor Chelo emphasized. “Providing every Cameroonian child the right to breathe freely is a mission of national dignity.”However, the 5th JRPA has moved beyond theoretical discussion, adopting a “military precision” toward three practical objectives designed to overhaul healthcare delivery: Experts are seeking ways to break the cycle of chronic shortages by guaranteeing a constant flow of oxygen from production centers to hospital bedsides. Discussions centered on modernizing life-saving tools, specifically the maintenance of oxygen concentrators, high-pressure cylinders, and hospital-wide piping systems to ensure reliability. Recognizing that technology requires human expertise, the congress is prioritizing the training of personnel to move from empirical administration to scientifically regulated, safe oxygen therapy.

The three-day event (May 8–10) features a comprehensive curriculum led by internationally renowned speakers. Key sessions include: Professor David Chelo delivered an uncompromising report on the economic and logistical barriers preventing an uninterrupted oxygen supply in Cameroon.Dr. Ndikontar presented “Oxygen: The Primary Fuel of Pediatric Life,” exploring the vital physiological requirements of the developing child.Dr. Paul Ndenbe, President of the 5th JRPA, highlighted the event as a symbol of African pediatrics taking its destiny into its own hands.Furthermore, the Douala summit serves as more than a scientific symposium; it is a powerful platform for political advocacy. By exposing the fragilities of the current supply chain, SOCAPED is directly challenging public decision-makers and international partners to act.The ultimate goal of the 5th JRPA is a fundamental paradigm shift: transforming public health policy so that oxygen becomes a universal reality in every facility from high-tech referral hospitals to the most isolated rural clinics. As the work continues in Douala, the experts remain focused on a singular future: **one where a child’s life is never again determined by a logistical constraint.

By Henry Wana