Ayos

Ayos is a town and commune in the Nyong-et-Mfoumou department of Cameroon's Centre Region, on the right bank of the Nyong River near its confluence with the Long-Mafog; its population was recorded at 8,653 in the 2005 census. The town holds a notable place in medical history: in 1913 German colonial authorities chose Ayos as the centre of an ambitious sleeping-sickness (human African trypanosomiasis) control programme covering the whole of Kamerun, after a severe epidemic swept the Upper Nyong forest region. In the 1920s the French physician Eugène Jamot, renowned for his work curing sleeping sickness, ran a medical centre here, and the disease was brought under control in Cameroon between 1926 and 1931. Since the 1960s, the Nyong River basin around Ayos and neighbouring Akonolinga has also been recognized as an endemic focus of Buruli ulcer, and the two towns have been key sites of research into the disease.

By Plane

The nearest major airport is in one of Cameroon's main cities.

By Car / Road

The town is connected by road to other centres in the region.

The town is compact and walkable. Moto-taxis are available for local transport.

• Nyong River: The river the town sits beside, near its confluence with the Long-Mafog; site of a historically significant sleeping-sickness control programme in the early 20th century.
• Local market: A trading market for local produce and crafts.

Small restaurants serve Cameroonian staples including ndole, poulet DG, and fufu.

Local bars serve Cameroonian beer (33 Export, Mützig) and soft drinks.

Basic hotels or guesthouses.

Local produce and crafts at the market.