A crucial workshop aimed at strengthening access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services through improved community engagement, awareness, and referral of obstetric fistula cases has been held this week at the Baptist Hospital Mutengene in the Southwest Region.

The training brought together Community Health Workers (CHWs) from conflict-affected and hard-to-reach communities, equipping them with essential skills to identify women living with obstetric fistula and encourage them to seek timely and comprehensive treatment through an ongoing free surgical repair campaign. This initiative forms part of an accelerated effort to scale up sensitization, case identification, and referrals for fistula management across vulnerable communities in the region.

Participants were trained on a wide range of topics, including: Understanding Obstetric Fistula—its causes, impact, and prevention; The Role of the Community in Facilitating Treatment and Reintegration; Effective Communication and Documentation of Success Stories; Psychosocial Support for Women Treated of Fistula; Referral Protocols; and Monitoring and Evaluation. These sessions aimed to empower CHWs as vital frontline actors in promoting early detection and access to care for affected women.

Representing the Regional Delegate of Public Health for the Southwest Region, the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Focal Person, Mrs. Kiawi Sarah, emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing maternal morbidities and enhancing reproductive health services in underserved communities. She was accompanied by the Regional Delegate of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Mrs. Ediage Julia Diputa, who highlighted the importance of collaboration between health, gender, and community structures to end fistula and restore dignity to women survivors.

The Hospital Administrator of Baptist Hospital Mutengene (BHM), Mr. Tossam Ephraim, commended participants for their dedication and urged them to remain steadfast in applying the knowledge acquired, particularly given the challenges posed by the ongoing Anglophone crisis. He noted that the crisis has significantly affected access to health services, making community-level intervention critical to bridging gaps in care delivery.

The training marks another milestone in the fight against obstetric fistula in the Southwest Region, reinforcing community capacity to identify, refer, and support women affected by the condition while promoting access to free and quality treatment.

This training is part of the project “Delivering Lifesaving Integrated and Holistic Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Services to Women and Girls in Hard-to-Reach Conflict-Affected Localities in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon,” funded by UNFPA and ECHO and implemented by CBC Health Services.