Universal Health Coverage : Beneficiaries, Registration Method Known

 The validation session of the first phase of the Universal Health Coverage in Cameroon was organised in Yaounde, yesterday June 5.

The Head of State, Paul Biya, in his New Year address to the nation on December 31, 2017 indicated that “the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) will be done gradually.” This statement has been buttressed by the validation of the first phase of the UHC plan, Tuesday, June 5, 2018 in Yaounde.

After close to three hours of discussion by national and international health experts, the Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda, validated the first phase of the UHC which shows who can be a beneficiary, the subsidized health care services and cost, as well as the methodology of registration.  

In his presentation, the Coordinator of the UHC, Dr Bernard Cheumaga, disclosed that the first phase of UHC targets a general population of 22,985,369 people amongst whom are 11,030,655 children aged 0 to 15 years and 933,071 pregnant women.

The first phase of the project will subsidise vaccination health care service for children from 0 to 5 years, paediatric care for children from 0 to 15 years and gynaecology/obstetrics problems for pregnant women. Still, under the UHC major health programmes relating to the general population such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, cancer, dialysis, schistosomiasis and intestinal helminthiasis and community health projects will also be covered.

It is estimated that for the year 2019, FCFA 334, 765, 241, 460 will be disbursed to accomplish the first phase of the UHC. According to statistics, the money will be distributed as such: FCFA 143, 922, 146, 428 for pediatrics hea...