Quality Care to all

Editorial: The Relevance of CBCHS’ Mission and Vision

The Good Book says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish" - Proverbs 29:18. The importance of mission and vision for the health of any Organization cannot be over-emphasized! More

A Mission statement defines the primary objective of an organization; the business, products or services, and customers. It provides detailed information about what the organization does, how it does, and who it does it for. So indeed, it helps focus the Organization on what really matters - to itself as well as to its stakeholders. Whereas, the Vision statement focuses on its goals and aspirations, which describes how the future will look if the organization achieves its mission. The mission and vision of any veritable organization should be timeless.

The vision and mission statements provide a focal point that helps to align everyone with the organization, thus ensuring that everyone is working towards a single purpose. This helps to increase efficiency and productivity in the organization. (From Blog Article by Colour Infusion, Cochrane AB - https://colourinfusion.ca)

Not having clear mission and vision statements would be like going on a journey without knowing the direction you are to follow or the destination.

The CBC Health Services is a Nonprofit, Faith-based, Humanitarian and Inclusive healthcare Organization that addresses both clinical, social, and public health problems affecting individuals and communities in Cameroon in particular and Africa at large. It is one of the departments of the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC). CBC founded in 1954 is a living fellowship of churches growing in grace, strengthening one another in faith and working together in obedience to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission of Jesus Christ through worship, preaching, teaching, healing and social ministries. (www.cbc-cm.org).

Quality care to all!

The Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Service (CBCHS) has as mission to provide care to all who need it as an expression of Christian love and as a means of witness in order that, they might be brought to God through Jesus Christ. Thus, the CBCHB shall provide exemplary Health care with genuine compassion and with overriding purpose of evangelical witness. This is drawn from Matthew 9:35-36. Her vision is, “Quality care to all”.

The CBCHS since its establishment has been operating in Cameroon striving to further her mission and by no means deviating from it. They strive to PROVIDE CARE TO ALL WHO NEED IT AS AN EXPRESSION OF CHRISTIAN LOVE AND AS A MEANS OF WITNESS. If you go through the Scripture, Jesus ministered to all – those with leprosy, the prostitutes - I mean all who were rejected in the society; even those who hated Him. He had a goal in mind, His goal was the salvation of mankind. As the arm of the church, the CBC Health Services seeks to provide Care to all who need it as an expression of this Christian love and equally as a means of evangelical witness. Jesus fully aware that Judas Iscariot would later betray Him did not disown him but ministered to him as well.

Quality care to all!

The CBCHS has stood the test of time even in the current crisis situation; She has never deviated from providing care to all who need it. She has been seen in hard-to-reach areas. This is because, she developed a clear sense of her values even before the crisis. CBC Health Services' mission statement indicates a clear concern regarding a commitment to "quality and maintaining the highest standards of honesty and integrity in its dealings with all stakeholders”.

We equally praise God for the transformational leaders in the CBC Health Services who inspire, energize, and intellectually stimulate and stir employees to look beyond their own self-interest for the benefit of individual work groups and the organization as a whole.

The CBC Health Services has used her mission statement as a constant guide for her actions. She is out to satisfy customers’ needs. The mission of the CBCHS is clear: equality ("the proposition that all men are created equal and in the image of God")

Persevering through tragedy is not easy. The CBCHS has not let her shortcomings to keep her from her work. Staying true to her mission and vision has kept her in focus to learn from any challenges and sailing through when and where many are failing!!!
CHAC woos More Members during Official Visit to PCC SYNOD Office in Buea

A team from the Christian Health Association of Cameroon (CHAC) has paid a visit to the Presbyterian Church of Cameroon. The team led More

by Bambo Denis, the Coordinator of CHAC was meant to have a gentleman's discussion with the Synod and to enable them to understand CHAC's vision and explore ways for future collaborations. This first official visit took place on February 9, 2023 at the SYNOD office in Buea, Southwest – Cameroon

During this meeting, the team visited the Community Empowerment Development and Rehabilitation Commission Office (CEDAR) to understand their operational systems, what they do, and their areas of intervention and monitoring systems. Bambo Denis used the opportunity to talk about the creation of CHAC, which is aimed at bringing all Christian health associations in Cameroon on one platform to leverage each other's expertise for better outcomes.

Working session at PCC Synod Office

The team proceeded to the SYNOD office. They talked with the Secretary of the Health Service – Nyah Fidelis, who received the team warmly, expressed his enthusiasm and willingness to sell the vision to the Presbyterian SYNOD.

The team left with the recommendation to meet with other Christian associations offering health care in Cameroon to increase the strength of the synergy. It is worth noting that CHAC was created in 2019 to promote health care in Cameroon and facilitate joint advocacy for the Christian Health Associations and services in Cameroon on matters of health, amongst other related activities.
RAISE 4 Sahel Project Capacitates Trainers of Care Groups to quicken Social Behaviour Change in Targeted Communities

As a fast-track strategy to effectively implement its Zero Dose Immunization Program in conflict, fragile and vulnerable communities, the More

RAISE 4 ZDC Project has trained 25 delegates from its implementing regions and the national Expanded Program for Immunization (EPI) of Cameroon as trainers of Care Groups.

The 5-day training, which started on February 21, took place at the CBC Health Services Resource Center in Mvan-Yaounde. The Training of Trainers (ToT) aimed at understanding the Care Groups structure and how to design/create, implement, monitor and ensure its sustainability after the project.

Care Group is a cascade of social behaviour change concepts that reaches all households through community volunteers. It is a group of 10–15 volunteer, community-based health educators who regularly meet with project staff for training and supervision. They are different from typical mother’s groups in that each volunteer is responsible for periodically visiting 10–15 of her neighbours (Neighbor Women), sharing what she has learned and facilitating social behaviour change at the household level.

Care Groups create a multiplying effect to equitably reach every beneficiary household with interpersonal behaviour change communication. The target populations of a Care Group are women of reproductive age, pregnant women, and mothers of children under five years old.

R4S country secretariat director encourages trainers to be flag bearers in the community

Addressing the participants, Prof. Tih Pius Muffih, the Country Secretariat Director of the RAISE 4 ZDC Project, called on all delegates to ensure proper grasping of Knowledge being shared with them by the facilitators. He also called for assiduous implementation as this is one of the joker strategies to reach targeted under-immunized children in Cameroon.

Participants learned from the wealth of experience from the Senior Technical Advisor for Health and Nutrition from “Food for the Hungry USA” – Mrs Mariamu Amadi – and the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Lead of ACHAP, Kenya – Mr. Denis Kinyoki.

The training gave the delegates a perfect understanding of what Care Groups are, their core objectives and structure, and the criteria for selecting its target audience in the communities. Other lessons learned from the over 270-page manual included organizing communities into care groups and the numbering system, the roles, responsibilities and job description of a Care Group Volunteer, behaviour change and Care Groups, home visits, Care Group Monitoring Information Systems: introduction to registers, supervision and reporting.

R4S project manager demonstrating the process of doing a headcount in the creation of care groups

At the end of the training, Mariamu Amadi, the lead facilitator, said, “Knowledge and information are no longer enough to affect social behaviour change positively; we need to do more than inform and educate. I have no doubt the participants would contextualize the Knowledge learned in their respective communities to create the desired results.”

Delegates left the CBC Health Services Resource Center Mvan, promising to begin preparing the ground for effective implementation of Care Groups upon the availability of funds. The training was made possible with funds from GAVI - the Vaccine Alliance - through World Vision US and the Africa Christian Health Associations Platform (ACHAP).
CBC Health Services launches Sign Language Dictionary on 2023 World Hearing Day

The CBC Health Services’ Socio-Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SEEPD) Programme in collaboration with More

the Regional Delegations of Secondary and Basic Education has launched a Sign Language Dictionary on the occasion of World Hearing Day 2023. The launching took place at the Regional Inclusive Education Resource Center at GBHS Bamenda on March 3, 2023 as part of commemorative activities marking the Day. The Sign Language Dictionary made up of 17 chapters is a compilation of 570 commonly used signs by the deaf community in the North West Region. The initiative, according to the CBC Health Services Inclusion Manager and Sign Language Interpreter, Mr. Che Manasseh is the product of 13 years of research, consultations and deliberations undertaken to recognize and standardize indigenous signs used by deaf people in the North West Region of Cameroon. The official launching of the dictionary was done by the SEEPD Programme Manager, Mr. Awa Jacques Chirac, the Regional Delegate of Secondary Education. Mr. Ngwang Roland Yuven, the representative of the Regional Delegate of Basic Education, Mr. Bafon Lahidou and the Chairperson of the Coordinating Unit of the Associations of Persons with Disabilities (CUAPWD) in the North West Region, Nongning Armelle. The launching ceremony was attended by inclusive education stakeholders promoting community sign language. Welcoming participants to the launching, the Northwest Regional Delegate of Secondary Education thanked the CBC Health Services for efforts put to make the sign language dictionary a reality. He also commended the venue of the launch, which he said, takes care of the needs of learners with disabilities in the North West Region. Speaking on behalf of the CBC Health Services Director, Mr. Awa Jacques Chirac said in line with the 2023 World Hearing Day theme, “Ear and hearing care for all! Let's make it a reality”, the CBC Health Services will focus efforts on ensuring access to ear and hearing care to all who need it and advance ways in which this care can be delivered at the primary care level. He explained that through the Ear and Hearing Care Program launched in 2021 the CBC Health Services has expanded quality Ear and Hearing Care to Cameroonians and the Northwest Region in particular. The SEEPD Programme Manager disclosed that in response to the increasing demand for hearing aids, the CBC Health Services has initiated a Hearing Aids Dispensing Program which will facilitate the procurement, dispensing and management of clients using hearing aids. The sign language dictionary was produced in line with the recommendation of the World Federation of the Deaf for emerging countries to develop their own sign languages based on their culture. It is also aimed at mitigating frustrations faced by deaf children in their education without any reference sign language textbooks or dictionaries in bookshops to facilitate their education. It is a pedagogic tool intended to assist families of children with hearing loss, teachers in inclusive schools, and community leaders to learn sign language within a very short period of time.
NW Regional Delegate of Secondary Education appreciates SEEPD Programme for making the sign language dictionary a reality
In his closing remarks, the representative of the Regional Delegate of Basic Education, Bafon Lahidou lauded the CBC health Services for the time and resources put to come out with the dictionary. He called on the stakeholders to go back and ensure effective use of the dictionary for progress in the academic pursuits of learners with hearing impairments. He promised advocacy on their part for the dictionary to be moved to the concerned ministries for eventual inclusion in the forth coming booklist for use in primary and secondary schools. The Chairperson of CUAPWD, Nongning Armelle speaking earlier on, appreciated the SEEPD Programme for the initiative, saying it has come to bridge the communication gap between deaf persons and the rest of the community members. Ear Screening for Mayors Another significant innovation in the celebration of the 2023 World Hearing Day was a free ear and hearing screening for Mayors of some 17 Member Councils of the North West Regional Branch of the United Cities and Councils of Cameroon (UCCC). The screening was done on March 2, 2023 by a team from the CBC Health Services in partnership with the North West Regional Branch of the UCCC still within the context of the SEEPD Programme. This was during a meeting of the North West Regional branch of the UCCC that held at the conference hall of the North West Regional Assembly.
Ear screening for Mayors
In his welcome address, the President of the North West Regional branch of the United Cities and Councils and Of Cameroon, Mayor Awoh Ndang Denis welcomed the Director of CBC Health Services who was represented by the Coordinator of the Ear and Hearing Care Project, Mr. Achateseh Godwill. Mayor Ndang recognized and appreciated the CBC Health Services noting that it is a major partner of UCCC following an MoU signed with the SEEPD Programme in November 2022. The partnership, the Mayor said, marked an important face lift for all Councils in terms of disability inclusive development. He revealed that it is against this partnership that the CBC Health Services was providing free ear screening and checking vital signs of the Mayors. A key highlight during the UCCC meeting was a presentation on the role of Municipalities in the promotion of Deaf Culture and Access to Ear and Hearing Care by the CBC Health Services Ear and Hearing Care Project Coordinator, Mr Achateseh Godwill. He exhorted Mayors to facilitate access to ear and hearing care services for all members of their communities, and facilitate the inclusion of people with hearing loss in all areas of the mainstream life of their communities. The 2023 World Hearing Day activities by the CBC Health Services were organised within the context of the SEEPD Programme with support from CBM.
Maga Health District Set to Search, Vaccinate All Children

After seven months of preparations, Maga, a Health District in the Far North Region of Cameroon, was listed as one of the leading health More

districts in Cameroon with high levels of zero-dose children. Hence, the RAISE for Sahel (R4S) team dropped its bags in Maga to confirm with the communities what the data and desk review surveys portrayed. This trip was also to ascertain the possibility of adapting the creation of Care Groups in Maga communities.

The team led by the Technical Coordinator of the R4S project - Dr Njume Epie, visited the Regional Delegation of Far North, the Regional EPI Coordination Office, the District Medical Officer of Maga, the Divisional Officer of Maga, the Sultan of Pous, the Health Center of Guivirdig and some Community women to ascertain and consolidate their findings about Maga Health District.

“Maga is inaccessible in the rainy season as it is situated in the lower basin of the Logone and Chari Rivers. Also, Lake Maga is 4 metres above the land. Hence, when there is a heavy downpour, Maga literally sinks underwater,” Mr. Sede Divisional Officer of Maga, bolstered.

Despite the heavy bodies of water surrounding Maga, Maga continuously attracts people from diverse backgrounds as it is inhabited by; Mousgoums, Shuwa Arabs, nomads and migrants from Chad and the Central African Republic. Its inhabitants believe Maga remains a source of blessings to them as it has several income-generating activities in the fishing, rice farming and tourist sectors.

The contamination of the rivers and lakes with human and animal waste, sewage spills and water runoff during rainfalls, coupled with the low immunisation coverage in Maga, has exposed its inhabitants to several vaccine-preventable diseases.

“The facts are glaring, and the urgency is unprecedented, especially with the recent discovery of a polio case in Maga. While this case shows that our surveillance system is effective, it also reminds us that we must close the Gaps in immunisation.” Dr. Yaya Alhadji Adam, the Regional EPI Coordinator for the Far North.

“From all indications, our database informed your choices because Maga needs such reinforcement, and I can only welcome you to the Far North Region. Your coming is not only timely but also indispensable as it will help us guarantee the wellness of every child,” Dr. Hamadou Bava Boubakary, Far North Regional Delegate of Public Health intimated.

Focus Group discussion with women in Maga

While talking with the community women, the R4S team realised that there is a lot of misinformation, ignorance, and social norms preventing families from vaccinating their children. “I don’t vaccinate my children because I think it will make them barren.” Fadhi, a mother of a toddler, explained.

Phil Moses, a Food for the Hungry partner, accompanied the team to Maga to appraise the landscape and recommend how to contextualise the rolling out of Care Groups in Maga. It is worth noting that the Care Group model is a head count systematic approach to reinforcing behaviour change in communities. This aspect remains an underpinning facet in demand creation for immunisation services which would go a long way to dispel myths and provide accurate information to the underserved people of Maga.

The R4S team is rolling its sleeves to bring all hands on deck, from the regional health delegation through the religious leaders to the community level, to ensure they reach the last mile in immunising every child in Maga.
SEEPD extends Partnership to 24 Councils in Northwest Region

The United Cities and Councils of Cameroon (UCCC) in collaboration with the Socio Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disability More

(SEEPD) program of the CBC Health Services have organized a 2-day workshop on Inclusive Local Development for Mayors, Secretary General, and Disability Focal persons from 24 Municipal Councils in the Northwest Region and regional permanent secretary, and divisional desk officers from UCCC Northwest Regional Office.

The workshop that held recently at the conference hall of the NW Regional Delegation of Public Works had as objective to elaborate the concept and principles underpinning disability inclusive development, strengthen the capacity of UCCC and the councils to mainstream gender and disability in policy and practice, and define a monitoring and reporting system.

Mayor Tanjong applauds CBC for its commitments in working with Councils to promote inclusion

Sitting in place of the President of UCCC and on behalf of the Mayors and municipalities of the Northwest Region, the Mayor of Tubah Council, Mr. Tanjong Stanislaus applauded the commitment and support of the CBC Health Services to the Councils to promote inclusion. He underlined the enormous contributions of the CBC in the areas of health, education, humanitarian services, and most importantly evangelization. Mayor Tanjong hailed the decision of the SEEPD program to take the fight for inclusion a step further by involving other stakeholders and development partners thereby complying with the law on decentralization which encourages grassroots development.

The lead facilitator of the workshop, CBM Regional Quality Manager, Mr. Mue Peter in his presentation, noted that participants should look at disability work as human diversity given their role in promoting disability inclusive development in their municipalities. He drilled the participants on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which he said is an international instrument that warrants countries to promote the rights of persons with disability which Cameroon has signed and ratify it. He also exposed participants to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which is a development framework that should act as a guide to development actors to ensure that no one is left behind in the development process. He described the SDGs as a reference bible for development actors.

Mr. Mue also treated the Mayors to the April 2010 law on the rights of persons with disabilities with the text of application signed by the Prime Minister on July 2018. He told the development actors that the 2010 law should be a working document for them in the region to ensure the inclusion of persons with disability.

Participants determined to put in place strategies to promote inclusion

The participants who were drawn from the Councils in the region and the UCCC regional and divisional offices also acquired practical lessons on Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) and disability concepts. It was an opportunity for them to share experiences on the challenges they face in promoting inclusion in their municipalities. The facilitator in a work session with the participants guided them on how to put in place strategies that promote inclusion.

It was an exciting and appreciative participant who has been introduced to the concept of disability for the first time. Under the banner of UCCC, they will benefit from the partnership between UCCC and CBC Health Services which will see them achieve inclusion in their municipalities. The 24 Councils are coming to add to the 10 Councils in the Northwest region and one Council in the West region that the program signed an MoU with them in the first phase of CBID project to promote inclusion.

It should be noted that within the current decentralization process in Cameroon, and with the UCCC more than ever making significant contributions in supervising and promoting Council activities, the program saw the need to enter into a partnership agreement to further strengthen the process. On October 12, 2022, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the CBCHS and the UCCC, with specific responsibilities to collaborate in enhancing the role of the UCCC in cultivating solidarity between Councils in the NWR and instituting continuous concerted action to promote inclusive local development and improve the environment and living conditions of the people.

The workshop was organized, thanks to support from CBM International.

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