Community health is major drive of country’s public health policy - Health minister.

The forum which began on Monday, November 18, is holding at the Yaounde Multipurpose Sports Complex. It wrapped up Thursday, November 21. 

The forum was placed under the theme: “Primary Health Care and Community Care: An essential pillar for Cameroon health systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030”.

It brought together health stakeholders from across the country as well as delegations from Benin, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda. 

The forum is organised by the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with several national and international partners. 

With an inclusive, participatory and multi-sectoral approach, the forum has gathered key actors from the health sector, and stakeholders that play key role in improving public health such as decentralised local authorities, mayors, presidents of regional councils, as well as community and religious leaders.

The forum was officially opened Tuesday on behalf of the Minister Manaouda Malachie, by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Health, Prof Louis Richard Njock. 

In the minister’s address, he said the forum is more than just a meeting but a multi-sectoral plea aimed at highlighting community health as a major thrust of public health policy in Cameroon. 

He also said the promotion of intersectoral collaboration where each ministry or stakeholder plays its full part in improving the determinants of health was key in strengthening the health system.

Noting that the mobilisation of decentralised local authorities to integrate community health into their local development priorities, he emphasised the need to make community health a shared responsibility, in which every player, from citizens to institutions, contributes actively.

“Community health is the beating heart of our health system. It requires the contribution of every citizen and every sector. This forum is therefore an opportunity for dialogue, so that together we can build sustainable health that is accessible to all,” the minister said in the speech read out by the Secretary General. 

“This is not a traditional conference, but a genuine forum for dialogue. It involves people directly in the production of their well-being, and strengthens their role in the health system. The discussions will provide answers to a key question: how can each sector and each individual contribute to improving the determinants of health?” he told the participants. 

He further declared that: “Health must no longer be seen solely as a matter for the Ministry of Health. It is a shared responsibility, and it is together that we will be able to build a healthier Cameroon, for today and for generations to come”. 

Discussions during the workshops centrered around primary health care financing; empowerment of community health workers; the fight against preventable diseases through coordinated community action; the role of traditional and religious leaders in changing health behaviours amongst others.

The forum is said to mark a decisive step in the construction of an inclusive health system, based on cooperation and solidarity. 

Enter UNICEF Representative

On her part, the Resident Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF-Cameroon, Nadine Perrault, emphasised that community health workers are vital for community health. 

“Multidisciplinary community health workers are the linchpins of community health. They are on the front line with the communities whose daily lives, culture and challenges they share,” she stated.

Meanwhile, several health structures and organisation have erected stands at the first primary health care and community health forum in Cameroon to showcase their products and services.

Conspicuously present at the forum is Impact Santé Afrique, ISA, an African non-governmental organisation founded by public health specialist Olivia Ngou.

Its vision is to see all communities resilient and empowered to lead healthy lives in a malaria-free Africa with people-centered health services that are accessible, equitable and affordable to all.

The organisation which is based in Cameroon, specialises in advocacy and strategic communication, with the main objective to contribute to the improvement of the health of populations.

ISA has as mission is to strengthen local civil society and empower affected communities to improve quality health services and end malaria. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3297 of Thursday November 21, 2024