Hopes are high for the institutionalization of clubfoot in the Cameroon Public Health system
The Ministry of Public Health(MoPH) and the Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project(CCC) Project has held a working session for the setting-up of a National Clubfoot Initiative in Cameroon .The working session was attended by Head of MALARIA and NTDs Sub-Department Dr NKO’AYISSI Georges, Public Health Expert Dr. Mefoug Severin, Senior Public Health Administrator Irene Megeh, Clinical Supervisor CCCP Dr. Ndasi Henry and CCCP Manager Mr Awa Jacques Chirac at the Ministry of Public Health in Yaoundé on April 5 2018.
The initiative to institutionalize clubfoot in the Cameroon Public Health system, started in 2015, with discussions with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) within the framework of a clubfoot national stakeholder conference. Later in 2017, partnership with Mercy Ship for the management of clubfoot in Cameroon served as a vessel to intensify discussions on the need for a national clubfoot program.
It is in follow up with the first planning meeting held in December 2017 that the CCC Project was invited for work session aimed at developing a concept note for a National Clubfoot Care Project.
The outcome of the one day workshop that was chaired by Dr NKO’AYISSI Georges was that the MoPH is designing a major program on neglected surgical conditions informed by Mercy Ship’s interventions in Cameroon, the national clubfoot project will target a yearly group of 500 cases and cost of treatment per case is estimated at 250,000 frs, Ponseti trainings will be organized quarterly for 25 personnel making a total of 100 trainees yearly and for a period of 4 years, 200 personnel will be trained and provided refreshers. The members of the meeting also agreed that at kick-off, Regional Focal Points will be appointed and reporting will be integrated in district level reporting and a coordination team will be created at national level which will bring on board other stakeholders of neglected surgical conditions.
The expectations of the actions arrived at during the meeting will be to see new cases placed on treatment each year, training of personnel on the Ponseti management of clubfoot, and more awareness of the clubfoot deformity and treatment options by communities. It is also envisaged that the engagement of the Ministries of Public Health, Communication, Social Affairs, Basic Education and Women’s, Empowerment and the Family and other partners will contribute in the management of clubfoot.
It should be noted that this major program will be placed under the coordination of the Prime Ministry If this finally happens then it will be a dream come to reality for the CCCP Project which is putting its fingers cross.
At the end of the meeting the CCC Project Manager held a meeting with the CBM Country Representative in Yaoundé to share with him the direction of the CCC project from inception till date
