Dr. Jean-Pierre Ateba Ndongo

Dr. Jean-Pierre Ateba Ndongo is Cameroon's leading rheumatologist, practising at Yaoundé Central Hospital — the country's principal government referral centre. With 14 years of experience and specialist training in France, he is one of very few fully qualified rheumatologists in Central Africa, serving patients from Cameroon and from neighbouring francophone countries including Gabon, Congo, and Chad who travel to Yaoundé for specialist care. His practice encompasses the full spectrum of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases, with a particular research interest in the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus in sub-Saharan Africa. He serves as a bridge between African rheumatology networks and European expertise, fostering connections through AFLAR and EULAR. His bilingual (French/English) competency is an asset in Cameroon's unique dual-language health system.

Dr. Ateba Ndongo obtained his Doctorat en Médecine at the Université de Yaoundé I Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and went on to complete the Diplôme d'Études Spécialisées (DES) in Rheumatology at the Université de Paris VII (now Université Paris Cité) — one of France's leading rheumatology training programmes. He also holds a DIU in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases. During his time in France he trained in biologic therapies for inflammatory arthritis, DEXA scanning for osteoporosis, and advanced musculoskeletal ultrasound. He has since pursued additional training through EULAR's educational programme and AFLAR's annual congresses, and he contributes to postgraduate teaching in internal medicine and rheumatology at Université de Yaoundé I.

Dr. Ateba Ndongo manages the full range of rheumatological conditions. His inflammatory arthritis practice covers rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, including initiation and monitoring of biological disease-modifying drugs (bDMARDs) where available. He has expertise in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other connective tissue diseases, with particular attention to renal and haematological complications. He manages gout and hyperuricaemia, which are highly prevalent in Cameroonian men. Joint aspiration for diagnostic synovial fluid analysis and therapeutic intra-articular injections are performed routinely. He also conducts DEXA scanning for osteoporosis assessment and manages paediatric patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Dr. Ateba Ndongo consults in both French and English, reflecting Cameroon's bilingual status and facilitating access for patients from across francophone and anglophone Africa. He regularly sees patients from Central African countries who travel to Yaoundé for rheumatological assessment. International patients should arrange appointments through Yaoundé Central Hospital's outpatient scheduling service and bring prior blood work (including ANA, anti-CCP, RF, uric acid, CRP) and any available imaging. He can review prior investigations electronically before a consultation and is available for written correspondence with referring physicians in other countries.

Dr. Ateba Ndongo is a founder member of the Société Camerounaise de Rhumatologie and serves on the executive committee of the African League Against Rheumatism (AFLAR). He has published research on the prevalence and clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis in Cameroonian patients and contributed to chapters in African rheumatology educational materials. He has been an invited speaker at AFLAR and EULAR congresses. He is a recipient of the Cameroon Ministry of Health Award for Medical Specialisation Excellence. He actively mentors internal medicine residents in rheumatology at the Université de Yaoundé I affiliated hospitals.