Louis-Albert Tchuem Tchuenté is Professor of Parasitology at the University of Yaoundé I, founding Director of the research Centre for Schistosomiasis & Parasitology, Coordinator of the National Programme for the Control of Schistosomiasis and Intestinal Helminthiasis, Coordinator of the COUNTDOWN Project on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Cameroon, and NTD Ambassador - LSTM. He has over 30 years of experience in various aspects of management, research and control of schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis and other NTDs. Through his scientific discoveries, he contributed to a better knowledge of the reproductive biology of schistosomes and its implications on the epidemiology of schistosomiasis. He provided strategic direction and built high political commitments for the control of NTDs in Cameroon, with significant achievements.
He joined the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa in 2012-2015 where he worked as focal person for preventive chemotherapy NTDs and provided technical assistance to African countries. He served as focal point for the China-Africa collaboration for the elimination of schistosomiasis in Africa.
Prof. Tchuem Tchuenté is member of several international Advisory Committees, and is on the editorial board of several international journals. He serves as the Regional Adviser for Africa of the UK Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and as NTD expert for the World Health Organization. He is a board member of the International Federation for Tropical Medicine (IFTM), and member of several other international societies of tropical medicine and parasitology, including the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH), and the British Society for Parasitology (BSP). He has published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals. He received several awards and distinctions, and was raised to the dignity of Commander of the National Order of Valour of Cameroon in 2016.
Current affiliations
• Professor of Parasitology, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon.
• Director - Founder, Centre for Schistosomiasis and Parasitology, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
• NTD Ambassador, Liverpool School of tropical Medicine, UK.
• Inspector for Medical and Paramedical Services, Ministry of Public Health, Cameroon.
• National Coordinator, National Programme for the Control of Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH) in Cameroon, Ministry of Public Health.
• Country Director of the DFID/LSTM COUNTDOWN Project in Cameroon.
Research/Teaching
Over 30 years of experience in various aspects of teaching and research in parasitology (with a special focus on NTDs, especially schistosomiasis and STH) from fundamental to operational research, integrating research and control in order to improve health and contribute to the understanding of disease epidemiology, transmission dynamics, treatment efficacy and optimization of control strategies.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Director of the Centre for Schistosomiasis and Parasitology of Cameroon (CSP). The CSP is the reference center for Schistosomiasis and STH research in Cameroon, and conducts translational research to improve the control of parasites.
• Director of the DFID/LSTM COUNTDOWN Project, an implementation research programme to inform the effective and sustainable scaling-up of integrated NTD control activities, a Consortium led by the LSTM.
• Coordinated research activities on schistosomiasis and STH in Cameroon.
• Focal Person for the Institution-based Network on China-Africa Cooperation for the Schistosomiasis Elimination. Has contributed to its development.
• Led teaching and capacity building in parasitology and biomedical research at the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon.
• Led the definition and development of strategies, portfolio of activities and budget for research and training.
Key achievements:
• Created the Centre for Schistosomiasis and Parasitology in Yaoundé, Cameroon in 1999 with a view to putting in place an adequate framework and a dynamic team for high-level research.
• Managed more than twenty international research projects. Project writing, design, implementation, budget preparation / negotiation, man management, supervision and evaluation.
• Coordinated the mapping of PC-NTDs and the development of the national strategic plan for integrated control of NTDs in several countries in Africa.
• Contributed to important insights into the reproductive biology of schistosomes, with three new findings that questioned old concepts and clarified the understanding of mating systems in schistosomes.
• Contributed to the description of a new species of human schistosome called Schistosoma guineensis.
• Organized several international scientific meetings.
• Track record of achievements in the field of NTDs. Senior and co-author of over 100 publications in highly-regarded international scientific journals, and chapters in books.