A seminar dedicated to the promotion of aviation medicine was held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, in Douala, under the auspices of the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA). The event brought together representatives of aircraft operators, medical examiners, pilots, air traffic controllers, and flight crews to discuss critical health and safety issues within the aviation sector.

The primary objective of this gathering was to strengthen the State Safety Culture and underscore the pivotal role of aviation personnel health in the prevention of aircraft accidents.

Though still relatively unknown to the general public, the opening address by the CCAA’s Director of Aviation Safety highlighted the significance of this key discipline. Indeed, aviation medicine is a specialised field at the intersection of preventive and physiological medicine. It evaluates medical fitness, ensuring that those responsible for passenger safety are physically and mentally capable of performing their duties in demanding and high-stress environments. Medical assessment is based on clinical and functional examinations conducted in collaboration with medical authorities. Depending on the findings, decisions may result in temporary, permanent, or restricted fitness, with an emphasis on regular monitoring and continuous dialogue between the physician and the license holder.

To enrich the day’s discussions, seasoned aviation medicine professionals were invited to share their expertise on five major thematic areas:

• The Applicable Regulatory Framework: Understanding the legal foundations that establish the medical standards imposed on aviation personnel and providing stakeholders with the necessary compliance tools.
• The Role of the Medical Examiner in Accident Prevention: Clarifying the responsibilities of these professionals in maintaining aviation safety.
• High-Risk Pathologies and Pilot Fitness: A review of several categories of pathologies likely to compromise flight safety, including neurological, cardiovascular, endocrine-metabolic, and ENT disorders, as well as factors such as fatigue and sleep disorders.
• Aviation Personnel Discipline and the Maintenance of Physical and Mental Fitness.
• Mental Health and Flight Safety: A vital aspect of preserving a high level of safety, particularly in light of the tragic 2015 Germanwings A320 crash, where the co-pilot's suicide led to the loss of 144 passengers and all crew members. This theme emphasised the indispensable need to enhance mental health evaluation and support protocols within the industry.

This seminar served as an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of close collaboration among all sector stakeholders to guarantee flight safety. Furthermore, participants stressed the need for more frequent engagements of this type to better understand medical requirements and promote a Shared Safety Culture. For the CCAA, this seminar is part of a broader communication strategy aimed at encouraging the exchange of safety information within the aeronautical community, thereby reinforcing safety culture and improving professional practices in accordance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

Translation: MKG-CEA/CRP