Société

Better Data Utilisation: Cameroon Launches National Health Accounts

Par Kimeng Hilton
28 avril 2021 14:58
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The information is intended to help in tracking public health funding and expenditure to enable authorities make informed decisions.

The last time Cameroon published its health accounts – the report on the sources of public health funding, who spent it and the purpose – was way back in 2013. This was for the year 2012. Meanwhile, the national health accounts for 2011 showed that Cameroon spent over 503 billion FCFA. For the year 2020, the figure has climbed to over 700 billion FCFA, officials disclosed in Yaounde on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at the launch of National Health Accounts.

Flagging off the activity, the Minister of Public Health, Dr Malachie Manaouda, said as demand for healthcare services grows, the need to regularly update national health accounts becomes urgent. He said national health accounts provide much-needed information on public health financing, which the government considers as a major priority.

Dr Phanuel Habimana, the World Health Organisation, WHO Resident Representative for Cameroon, speaking on behalf of financial and technical partners of the project, described health accounts as “the regular production and use of health data by decision-mares.” He said the publication has in the past helped government to carry out courageous reforms like the setting up of the universal health coverage scheme.