CBC Health Services Partner with the Ministry of Public Health to Foster an Effective Management of Clubfoot in Cameroon
The over 1000 children born with clubfoot yearly will henceforth benefit from an effective treatment using the Ponseti Technique. This is the substance of a memorandum of understanding signed Tuesday, May 25, 2021 between the CBC Health Services and the Ministry of Public health.
Signing on behalf of the Ministry of Public Health was its boss, Dr Manouda Malachie and on behalf of the CBC Health Services was the Director, Prof Tih Pius Muffih.
In line with this, the partnership will improve access to clubfoot health care services for all children and adults in need of these services, strengthen the technical capacity of clubfoot treatment sites to provide quality services and strengthen training within clubfoot treatment sites
According to the Minister of Public Health, a circular letter No D36-70 of December 18, 2019 on National Directives on the Management of clubfoot has been sent to all health facility managers recommending them to systematically screen for this malformation and refer cases to the competent physiotherapy services and centers. In addition, a module will be introduced in the training program of health personnel.
“Treating this condition will be of great importance to the Cameroonian population in a bid to prevent abnormalities in the society and enable these children to go to school and conveniently carry on with their daily activities” he stated during the signing ceremony.
On his part, Prof Tih, emphasized that health facilities should take responsibilities in identifying children with clubfoot early and make sure that corrections are made to enable these children grow up and be free of disabilities.
He reiterated that the collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health has been excellent over the years. “We’ve signed quite a number of Memoranda of Understanding with the Ministry of Public Health and we have worked closely to ensure that the terms of those MoU are all respected. Thus, the content of this partnership is to enable that the Minister of Health ensures that all Public and Private health facilities respect the Ponseti Technique of correcting clubfoot in Cameroon (the Ponseti Technique is a manipulative technique that corrects congenital clubfoot without invasive surgery)
During the ceremony, the Country Director of CBM, Mr. Fon Julius, stressed that CBM will be working in collaboration with the CBC Health services in the domain of ear and hearing care, eye health in the context of Covid-19 as well as clubfoot and physical rehabilitation in a bid to provide quality and cost-effective care to everyone .
As of now, Over 1400 children have been placed on treatment since 2014 with over 500 completing treatment using the Ponseti technique.
The signing of this MoU will go a long way to strengthen the collaboration of the Ministry of Public Health with the CBC Health Services in the provision of quality treatment to children born with clubfoot in Cameroon using the Ponseti Technique. The four-year partnership project known as the “Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project” is funded by the CBM,