CBC Health Services, CBM pay Advocacy Visit to Minister of Public Health
The CBC Health Services and its funding partner, CBM have paid an advocacy visit to the Ministry of Public Health. The objective of the visit was to have deliberations with the Minister of Public Health on the integration of clubfoot in the public health system of Cameroon following the submission and protocol of agreement with the Minister some months back.
The team comprised of the Director of CBC Health Services, Prof. Tih Pius Muffih, CBM Senior Advisor for Physical Rehabilitation, Michiel Steenbeek, CBM Project Manager for Private Donors, Clara Gaztelu, CBM Country Representative, Fon Julius, Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project (CCCP) Clinical Supervisor, Dr. Ndasi Henry and the CCCP Project Manager, Awa Jacques Chirac. At the Ministry, they were received by the Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachie and NCDs, Coordinator Kort Kingsley Mgah.
During the visit, three major things were highlighted to the Minister amongst other things, that clubfoot is a deformity which exists in Cameroon, CBC Health Services have been involved in the treatment of clubfoot for the past years with successful results recorded and the treatment method, which is the Ponseti have proven to be the standard method. Dr. Ndasi explained the different stages of the method which the CCCP has been using to treat close to 100 children with clubfoot in its second phase of the Project.
Given that the Minister is still new in office, the team also briefed him on the Memorandum of Understanding submitted to the Ministry one year ago pending the signature and approval of the Minister.
The team was informed that a draft directive for the treatment of clubfoot in Cameroon has been made and a meeting to validate the directive already proposed. Elated with what the CBC Health Services has been doing in the area of clubfoot, the Minister commended the team for its commitment in treating children with the Clubfoot deformity in Cameroon.
“Haven listened to the presentation and the need for the next phase of the project to begin in January 2020, I promise to put in place measures which will facilitate the signing of the MoU and Protocol of agreement which will have to go through some processes before approval,” submitted the Minister.
This wasn’t the first visit the team has paid to the Ministry, yet it was a very significant one as it provided an opportunity for CBM and CBC Health Services team to have a face-to-face discussion with the Minister. At the end of the visit, the CBM Senior Advisor described it as a milestone in the CCC Project which is promising to be fruitful in the days ahead as he hopes that actions will be matched with words.
To the CBC Health Services team, the visit has been a booster to their efforts. The presence of the CBM during the visit has also been a major support to the advocacy strategy of CCCP.
