Ensuring Health Services During Covid-19: North West Region Innovates, Counts Telltale Achievements

The onset of the socio-political crisis in the North West and South West Regions in 2016. The advent of the Coronavirus pandemic or Covid-19 to Cameroon in March 2020. Have both left devastating impact on access to healthcare and services. Thanks, in no less measure, to persistent rumours that health facilities had become lieux par excellence for Covid-19 contamination! Understandably, the situation has not been helped either by the many health professionals who got contaminated. And eventually died of the “mysterious” new disease.

Health Facilities Shunned

Many people began keeping away from health facilities. Or only came when they were in critical condition. Having failed to get proper treatment elsewhere. An estimated 600,000 people are displaced in the two English-speaking regions. Of which 52 per cent are women and children in dire need of access to essential services for the prevention, care and treatment of diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, etc. And vaccination, adequate nutrition, protection, and access to drinking water and sanitation, humanitarian sources say.

Government, Partners Take Action

Faced with the grim situation, the Ministry of Public Health and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, secured funding from the World Bank. For the Pandemic Emergency Financing, PEF project in the North West and South West Regions. Worth 7.3 million US dollars - about 4.2 billion FCFA.

“The Pandemic Emergency Financing project has had great impact in the North West Region. It has achieved what it was intended for – to ensure continuity in the delivery of healthcare and services to the population greatly affected by Covid-19,” says Dr Wirngo Mohammadu Suyu, Coordinator of Integrated Community Case Management for Childhood Diseases in the North West Region, placed under the PEF project.   

Fast-track Access To Malaria Medication

“We experimented a new approach to the community dispensation of Sofadoxcin and Perivitamin (popularly known as Fansidar) for the prevention of malaria in pregnant women,” Dr Wirngo discloses. “Before now, pregnant women only received Fansidar from healthcare professionals when they came for antenatal clinic. With the advent of Covid-19 and the Anglophone Crisis, Community Health Workers, CHWs were trained to take Fansidar to the population,” he explains.

Here Comes 300 New Pregnant Women!

"And the result has been remarkable! Close to 300 new pregnant women have so far accessed malaria prevention medication right at home through trained CHWs in two selected health districts – Kumbo East in Bui Division and Tubah in Mezam Division,” Dr Wirngo announces with a broad smile of contentment. “This is the first of its kind in the whole country!” Dr Wirngo stresses. “Until now, CHWs were not authorised to dispense Fansidar in the community. After clearance from the Ministry of Public Health, we experimented this intervention. I believe the Ministry of Public Health will use our results to scale up the activity with CHWs in the 9 other regions,” he adds.

Enhanced Training For Volunteers

Also through the Integrated Community Case Management for Childhood Diseases in the Context of Covid-19 Pandemic under PEF, 130 CHWs were trained to provide care to children less than five years, pregnant women and other needy sections of the population. With a view to treating them against the three childhood killer diseases of respiratory infections, malaria and diarrhoea.

A total of 74 CHWs in Kumbo East Health District and 56 in Tubah Health District received training under the project. “So far, we have distributed close to 5,000 treated long-lasting mosquito bed nets to households with children less than 5 years old in the two health districts. We used this criterion to make sure the nets got to the most vulnerable section of the population,” Dr Wirngo clarifies.

Awareness Campaign Gains

In Tubah Health District, out of 11 Health Areas, 7 are covered by the project. While in Kumbo East Health District, 7 Health Areas out of the 22 were selected. “We targeted the two hea...