In Cameroon’s Far North – a region marked by conflict, displacement, and limited infrastructure, healthcare often feels like a distant dream. For thousands of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities scattered across Logone et Chari, Mayo-Tsanaga, and Mayo-Sava, the journey to a hospital can be not only long but dangerous. Yet, amidst these harsh realities, Meskine Baptist Hospital, Maroua (MBHM) is leading a quiet revolution: bringing healthcare directly to those who need it most.
As part of the BMZ-CBM Resilience Project, titled, “Building Resilience for Enhanced Access to Basic Services of Health, Education and Social Inclusion in the Far North Region,” MBHM has emerged as a crucial player in reducing the healthcare gap in this underserved part of the country.
On May 7, 2025, another chapter in this life-saving mission unfolded under the coordination of Mr. Alain Passah, the project’s regional coordinator. Outreach teams deployed to the remote communities of Zina and Kousserie carrying with them not just medical supplies, but hope.
“Our goal is to bring essential health services closer to vulnerable populations and to ensure that care doesn’t stop when the outreach ends,” Mr. Passah explained. “That’s why we’re also empowering local health workers so that basic care continues long after we’ve moved on to the next location.”
Operating in what are still labeled “Red” and “Orange Zones” due to ongoing security threats, these outreach missions are no easy task. But MBHM’s strategy goes beyond crisis response. By dispatching trained medical professionals and specialists, they are tackling a deeper, more systemic issue: The triple burden of inaccessibility, distance, and cultural barriers to healthcare.
In regions where a clinic may be several hours away by foot or motorbike, and where traditional beliefs sometimes hinder early medical intervention, MBHM’s mobile approach is revolutionary. The outreach teams set up temporary clinics in local community centers, schools, or even open fields, offering consultations, health education, and referrals to MBHM and other regional hospitals for more complex cases.
Crucially, the project emphasizes disability-inclusive health services – a rare focus in regions where persons with disabilities are often hidden from public life. This inclusive model ensures that no one is excluded based on mobility, perception, or stigma. For residents of these remote communities, the presence of MBHM’s teams is more than welcome – it’s transformative.
The outreach model also integrates capacity building for local health practitioners, equipping them with diagnostic tools and training to manage common ailments and recognize when to refer to conditions that are more serious. In doing so, MBHM is creating a sustainable health network rooted within the communities themselves.
As Cameroon continues to grapple with the complexities of displacement, poverty, and cultural health barriers, the example set by Meskine Baptist Hospital is one of vision and resolve. With every outreach, the distance between patients and providers grows shorter – not just in kilometers, but in trust, awareness, and accessibility. In the unforgiving geography of Cameroon’s Far North, Meskine Baptist Hospital is doing what once seemed impossible: bringing healthcare to the forgotten and reminding them they are not alone!
