Mutengene – July 12, 2025 – To address the critical mental health needs in Cameroon’s conflict-affected Southwest Region, a comprehensive capacity-building workshop on the Mental Health Gap Action Programme Humanitarian Intervention Guide (mhGAP-HIG) concluded in Mutengene from July 8-12, 2025. Twenty-five dedicated health workers, including four midwives from Ekondo Titi Baptist Health Center and Kumba Baptist Hospital received specialized training and essential skills for identifying, managing, and referring mental health conditions in their communities.

The workshop, dubbed “MhGAP-HIG,” was particularly geared towards empowering health professionals, especially midwives, who serve in hard-to-reach areas grappling with the ongoing Anglophone crisis. Recognizing the immense psychological toll conflict exacts on individuals, particularly vulnerable women and girls, this training represents a significant step towards bolstering the region’s mental healthcare infrastructure.

Dr. Eko Eko Filbert, the Southwest Regional Delegate for Health praised the workshop as essential, acknowledging the importance of the modules in the context of the Anglophone crisis. “This training is very necessary, especially considering the difficulties faced by patients even health workers in conflict zones,” he stated, urging participants to remain steadfast in their commitment to improving health outcomes in their communities. He also expressed appreciation for the initiative spearheaded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which was instrumental in facilitating the training alongside other representatives from the government health sector.

The meticulously designed modules of the mhGAP-HIG workshop provided participants with a robust framework for intervention. Key areas of focus included:

• Understanding Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use (MNS) Conditions: Participants gained a foundational understanding of why training on MNS conditions is crucial, particularly in humanitarian settings.
• Core Principles of Care and Assessment: Emphasizing communication, human rights, and well-being, the training equipped health workers with general principles for assessing significant symptoms of acute stress, grief, moderate-severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and self-harm/suicide.
• Effective Management Strategies: The workshop provided practical guidance on managing these conditions, empowering participants to offer immediate support and interventions.
• Introducing “Thinking Healthy” Perinatal Mental Health: A cornerstone of the training was the “Thinking Healthy” program, specifically tailored to address the unique mental health needs of pregnant women, new mothers, and those in early to late infancy. This module delved into critical aspects such as:
  • Preparing for the Baby: Focusing on the mother’s personal health, her relationship with the unborn child, and her social support networks during pregnancy.
  • The Baby’s Arrival and Early Infancy: Continuing to monitor and support the mother’s personal health, her bonding with the baby, and her interactions with those around her during the crucial first months and beyond.

The direct and tangible benefits of these modules for midwives are profound. Midwives, often the primary point of contact for women throughout their reproductive journeys, are uniquely positioned to detect early signs of mental distress. The mhGAP-HIG training empowers them to:

Improve Service Delivery: By integrating mental health considerations into their routine care, midwives can offer more holistic and effective support.

• Early Detection and Intervention: The enhanced assessment skills enable midwives to swiftly identify any form of mental health concerns in pregnant women and girls, as well as nursing mothers.
• Timely Counseling and Referral: With newfound confidence, midwives can provide immediate, compassionate counseling and, crucially, facilitate prompt referrals to specialized care when necessary. This ability to act quickly can be life-saving, preventing conditions from escalating and ensuring access to appropriate treatment at the earliest possible time.

The “Thinking Healthy” component is particularly transformative. By addressing the delicate interplay between a mother’s personal well-being, her bond with her child, and her social environment across different stages of infancy, midwives can proactively support positive maternal mental health outcomes. This, in turn, directly contributes to healthier families and communities.

Facilitated by experts from UNFPA and representatives from the government health sector, the workshop fostered a collaborative learning environment. The success of this initiative highlights the indispensable role midwives play in saving lives and maintaining health standards, especially in conflict-affected communities where access to specialized services can be limited. By equipping these frontline heroes with essential mental health skills, UNFPA/ECHO project implemented by CBC Health Services is taking a significant step towards building more resilient communities and ensuring that no mother or child is left behind in the pursuit of well-being even in emergencies.