CBC Health Services, West Regional Delegation of Public Health commit to improve Mectizan Distribution
Bafoussam, August 21-22, 2024: A meeting with some key stakeholders of the West Regional Delegation of Public Health held to introduce the new phase of the River Blindness program in Cameroon and put in a place a strategy to improve community participation in mectizan distribution. The meeting was also aimed at evaluating mectizan distribution for 2024 and to put in place a plan for 2025.
The meeting took place at the Conference Hall of the West Regional Delegation of Public Health and organised by the River Blindness program of the CBC Health Services in collaboration with the West Regional Delegation of Public Health. It was attended by regional and district river blindness teams under the coordination of the national onchocerciasis control representative, District Medical Officers and some staff of the River blindness Program.
In his presentation, the Program Logistics Officer, Mr. Che Manasseh highlighted the achievements of the program in 2023 which he said included free eye screening carried out in 44 schools in 11 health districts with over 12,581 children screened. He added that 827 of these children received free eye treatment and 100 benefitted free glasses.
Mr. Che Manasseh disclosed that with the current phase, activities will run for three years (2025 – 2027) with the scope expanding from six health districts in the last phase to nine being: Foumbot, Kouoptamo, Bangourain, Foumban, Massangam, Malantouen, Mbouda, Galim and Batcham.
During the meeting, certificates of recognition by the CBC Health Services for outstanding community distributors of mectizan were given to the respective District Medical Officers for handing over to the concerned in the communities.
The 2023 implementation strategy was evaluated during which inadequate resources to meet the needs of the huge number of children who needed resources was identified as a major challenge. Lack of collaboration by some Councils to assist in the mobilization of community distributors to facilitate campaigns also featured.
The health stakeholders agreed that as ways forward, the campaign for distribution of mectizan will begin in March 2025. To facilitate successful campaigns, it was resolved that District Medical Officers should work closely with Mayors of their Districts to ensure that they are fully engaged in the subsequent mectizan distribution campaigns.
The River Blindness program in Cameroon has as ultimate expected outcome, the elimination of the transmission of river blindness in the West region by 2030 The project is funded by Hope and Healing International and implemented by the CBC Health Services in collaboration with the West Regional Delegation of Public Health.
#HopeandHealing
