The CBC Health Services has drawn the attention of stakeholders to her experience in empowering and improving on the quality of life for persons with disability in Cameroon through her different disability programs. The Coordinator of Services for Persons with Disability (SPD) program, Awa Jacques Chirac presented the disability services of the CBC Health Services during the launch of the 2019 edition of the National Sensitization Campaign on the Prevention and Early Detection and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disability. The event took place in Yaounde on March 26, 2019 under the patronage of the Minister of Social Affairs.
Presenting on prevention and rehabilitation of disabilities in Cameroon, Awa Jacques underlined the activities and achievements of the CBC Health Services. “We have undertaken road safety campaigns in 22 partner Councils in the Northwest to reduce disability and mortality, carried out screenings of drivers and bike riders to prevent visual impairments, given assistive devices to children with disability as part of rehabilitation and supported 46 local structures to put in the child protection system,” pointed out the Coordinator.
Despite the achievements recorded, Mr. Awa highlighted some challenges faced such as limited access to assistive devices, lack of national Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) initiative, and limited infrastructure amongst others.
With the challenges faced, Mr. Awa called on the government through its relevant ministries to push for the enforcement of existing laws and policies on the promotion and protection of persons with disabilities, put in place a national CBR initiative, and to provide subventions to Community Based Organizations providing social services.
Praised with her experiences, the Minister of Social Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Irene Nguene hailed the CBC Health Services for being a model health care organization in providing holistic health care, protecting and empowering persons with disability in Cameroon.
In her speech, Mrs. Nguene applauded civil society organizations in Cameroon for partnering with the government in facilitating the inclusion of persons with disability in developmental actions. She used the occasion to describe persons with disability as people with aspirations which requires enabling environment for them to realize their dreams. She challenged the public to mainstream disability in all societal actions
While visiting the exhibition stands, the Minister was visibly satisfied with the CBC Health Services exhibition stand where a long queue of people was being screened for non-communicable diseases and Ear, Nose, and Throat. The event brought together stakeholders in disability related work, persons with disabilities, some elderly people and the media.
