Bamenda, Feb 7, 2026 — The Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) has taken a decisive step toward strengthening its safeguarding architecture with the hosting of a high-level strategic planning workshop aimed at restructuring and institutionalizing Gender and Child Protection as a full-fledged department within the health system.
The one-day workshop, held over the weekend at the Director of Health Services (DHS) Chapel at the Baptist Center in Nkwen, Bamenda, brought together senior administrators, program managers, and technical experts who have been central to the evolution of Gender and Child Protection (GCP) initiatives within CBCHS over the years.
For more than a decade, CBCHS has implemented Gender and Child Protection interventions across its facilities, largely driven by donor requirements tied to funded projects. However, as safeguarding challenges have grown in complexity and relevance within healthcare delivery, the institution has increasingly recognized the need to move beyond policy compliance toward long-term institutional ownership.
Speaking through the deliberations of the workshop, participants emphasized that Gender and Child Protection has matured from a donor conditionality into a core institutional responsibility that must be embedded in CBCHS’s governance, operations, and strategic vision. The planning meeting, therefore, focused on transitioning the existing Gender and Child Protection Service into a dedicated department (Program) with a clear mandate, structure, and sustainable operational capacity.
The workshop aimed not only at policy reinforcement but at ensuring that Gender Safeguarding is fully integrated into the CBCHS long-term strategic plan. Central to discussions was the creation of an autonomous department (Program) capable of responding effectively to the complex safeguarding needs arising within health facilities, communities, and other programs under the CBCHS umbrella.
Key objectives included; reviewing the historical evolution of Gender and Child Protection within CBCHS, defining the strategic rationale for departmentalization, validating a proposed organogram, and outlining core functions and priority focus areas. Participants also worked toward developing an immediate research protocol to support evidence-based programming and accountability, as well as a clear roadmap for operational rollout.
The meeting was attended by long-standing stakeholders instrumental in shaping the Gender and Child Protection agenda within CBCHS. Among them were the SEEPD Program Manager, Mr. Awa Jacque Chirac; a representative of the EDID Program Manager, Mr. Njoya Kelvin; the Project Coordinator for UNFPA-supported projects within CBCHS, Mrs. Yong Blessing; a Senior Administrator and Head of the Grants Department, Mr. Abanda Alfonse; the Supervisor of Gender and Child Protection Services, Mme Nsono Josephine; and the Executive Officer for Operations and Development, Mr. Achataseh Godwil, who represented the Director of Health Services and the Deputy Director for Administration and Finance, among others.
Their collective engagement underscored a shared institutional commitment to ensuring that Gender and Child Protection is no longer treated as a peripheral or project-based function, but as a central pillar of ethical healthcare delivery, aligned with national policies, international best practices, and the core values of CBCHS.
The outcomes of the workshop are expected to inform management decisions and approvals leading into the 2026 strategic cycle and beyond, marking a significant milestone in CBCHS’ journey from policy to practice, and from programs to institutionalized safeguarding.
