With one of the lowest Covid-19 vaccination rates in the world, health workers in Cameroon were struggling to persuade a reluctant population to get the jab.
Vaccine centres saw just a trickle of people through their doors each day, with misinformation around the vaccine circulating on social media and contributing to hesitancy.
But a boost for vaccine uptake has come from an unexpected quarter – the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, which has brought a festival of soccer to host nation Cameroon over the past month.
As the tournament got underway, fans were obliged to show their vaccination certificates to gain entry to stadiums, prompting a surge in enthusiasm for the shot, officials say.
“The Africa Cup of Nations has helped because the same people who said the coronavirus vaccine kills and is not good ended up taking it to go to the stadium,” said health worker Athahele Blandine, who works at a vaccination centre in the city of Douala, where one of the quarter-finals was held.
“Therefore, many people got vaccinated and the government of Cameroon has used this period to vaccinate a large number of its population.”
Expatriate Cameroonians and tens of thousands of fans from across Africa have converged on Cameroon for the tournament – many are vaccinated and have brought with them a new narrative about the Covid-19 vaccine.
As a result, confidence in the shot is rising. Binthou Nliane, a Cameroon fan, took a Johnson & Johnson jab so he could support the home team, nicknamed the Indomitable Lions.
“Since the start of the Covid pandemic, especially on the African continent and particularly in Cameroon, the population has been really hesitant to take the coronavirus vaccine,” Nliane said before Cameroon’s semi-final match against Egypt in Yaoundé.
“But since the arrival of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon we have witnessed a change in attitude. A lot of Cameroonians have volunteered to take the vaccine because of their love for the country, the tournament, and the Cameroon football team. For example, I took the vaccine, and here is my vaccination card. I took it all because I want to support the Indomitable Lions.”
The host nation’s defeat in the semi-final dampened spirits but Cameroon is home to a large population of Senegalese descent who witnessed Senegal’s historic victory in a penalty shootout in Sunday’s final.
And the tournament will leave an important legacy in the battle against the coronavirus, said Thomas Joly Ngbonga, Communications Officer at the Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC): “I think the return of expats, the diaspora, and others who came into Cameroon and even the players who are here to play football has boosted confidence and encouraged the local population to take vaccines,” he said.
“There’s the example of football stars and other international personalities who have gathered in Cameroon for the tournament. They have made it known publicly that they have taken a vaccine. This has motivated a large number of people to get vaccinated before going to watch matches.”
