Dear Neil,
Please accept my apologies for this delayed response — I was fully engaged in finalizing the Global Mental Health Symposium we recently organized in Yaounde. I am now delighted to take the time to contribute to this important discussion.
As a Mental Health specialist I have often experienced both sides of the “access” divide in scientific information.
In my daily practice, I regularly seek up-to-date evidence to guide patient management, especially concerning harm reduction strategies and the mental health impacts of substance use. There have been many occasions when I was unable to access crucial research articles because they were behind paywalls, limiting my ability to integrate new findings into local care protocols.
Conversely, open access publications have been tremendously valuable. Freely available studies on community-based harm reduction and brief motivational interventions have directly inspired the design of our psychosocial support programs and professional training modules.
I strongly believe that open access to scientific knowledge is a cornerstone for reducing global health inequities, empowering frontline practitioners, and improving care outcomes — particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Thank you once again for the opportunity.
Warm regards,
Marileine
Dr. Marileine Kemme
MD – Addiction Practitioner, Mental Health & Drug Harm Reduction Expert,
Head of Centre La Vie – Care, Support and Prevention Centre in Addictology
Central Hospital of Yaounde, Cameroon
�� marileinekemme@gmail.com
HIFA profile: Marileine Kemme is a Doctor, graduated from the National Memorial University of Pirogov in Ukraine in 2012. She is fluent in five languages (Bankôn, French, English, Russian and Ukrainian) and currently practices at the Central Hospital of Yaounde specifically at the Support and Prevention center in Addictology as an Addictologist. She is passionate about issues of mental health in general, addictions and substance use disorders. Marileine.kemme AT medcamer.org