Science protects the most vulnerable in Cameroon, WHO interviews Professor Anne Esther Njom Nlend

WHO marked World Health Day 2026 with the theme "Together for health. Stand with science" and featured Professor Anne Esther Njom Nlend, who described how evidence-based practices have improved care for mothers, newborns and children in Africa.

On World Health Day 2026, WHO highlighted people who use science to improve health across the African Region. Professor Anne Esther Njom Nlend, a paediatrician and public health expert in Cameroon, explained how scientific evidence guides care for mothers, newborns and children. She described how research, vaccines and tested clinical practices are translated into guidelines for health workers. Her remarks draw on examples from the African context where evidence has changed care. What the interview reports: - WHO observed World Health Day 2026 under the theme "Together for health. Stand with science." - Professor Njom Nlend explained that evidence-based medicine helps ensure interventions deliver more benefits than risks while considering safety, acceptance and cost. - Research-supported practices cited include kangaroo mother care, which improves survival for low-birth-weight babies, and maternal vaccination that has nearly eliminated neonatal tetanus in the region. - Evidence shows that when a mother adheres to HIV treatment and the virus is undetectable, the risk of transmission to her child is very low, including during breastfeeding. - The interview reports that research has contributed to a substantial decline in new paediatric HIV infections in Africa. Summary: The interview highlights that scientific evidence underpins clinical guidelines and has contributed to measurable improvements in maternal, newborn and paediatric HIV outcomes across Africa. Remaining barriers to access include financial, geographic and social factors, as well as misinformation. Undetermined at this time.