The CBC Health Services’ RTC prioritizes Universal Health Coverage through capacity building
A 3-month Course on Leadership Management and Governance for Health System Strengthening at the Regional Training Centre for Excellence (RTC) Mutengene started on January 21, 2021, with an orientation session.
This online orientation session brings together a cross-section of leaders and Administrative staff of the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Health Services.
The course designed for senior and mid-level health managers and practitioners at National, Country, State, District and
Sub District Health Systems in Public and Non-Governmental institutions is thanks to a partnership between the CBC Health Services and Amref Africa, an extension of the tripartite capacity building program.
The Partnership for Health Systems Strengthening in Africa (PHSSA) is a tripartite capacity building program between the Ministry of Health (MoH) Kenya, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Amref Health Africa.
The program is implemented under the auspices of the Africa Health Leadership and Management Network (AHLMN). JICA through the Kenya office provides both financial and technical support for the project.
Students shall officially graduate with the award of certificates. Applications are currently open for all prospective applicants who can access the course in English and French languages.
It is a noteworthy fact that Human Resource for Health (HRH) capacity building is a public health approach to improving and enhancing knowledge, developing skills, and enabling health systems to improve on the management of health systems, health programs, and health conditions. The World Health Organization developed a 2009 -2013 Strategic plan for capacity building which emphasizes that capacity building needs should include those related to human resources, institutional and infrastructural capacity networks, and partnerships. This is in line with meeting the progress towards achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) targets by 2030. However, capacity building on HRH has been limited. The Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) started a Regional Training Centre (RTC), as a special institution for human resource development in the health sector. The center aims to enhance knowledge, develop skills and improve human resources, institutional and infrastructural capacity and move toward achieving UHC targets.
In partnership with specialist health training institutions such as Mildmay Institute of Health Sciences in Uganda and AMREF Africa based in Kenya, the CBCHS RTC runs short and work-based modular Diploma and degree courses in Health. The training program is unique and provides a problem-learning approach where candidates receive blended face-to-face lectures and self-studies at their workplace in consultation with their assigned academic supervisors online. This keeps learners on the job as they study.
Currently, the RTC has 14 students in BSc (Hons) Health and Social Systems Management, 17 in the Public Health Diploma, 35 for Diploma in Health logistics and supply chain Management and 61 in online Leadership Governance and Management.
A total of 45 have completed their courses as follows: 16 with a BSC in Health and Social systems Management, 8 with a Higher Diploma in Pediatric Palliative Care, 7 with a Diploma in Community HIV & AIDS Care and Management, 12 with a Diploma in Human Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics.
Current intake is for BSc (Hons) Health and Social Systems Management, Diploma in Public Health, Diploma in Human Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Diploma in Paediatric Palliative Care, BSC in Biomedical Engineering Technology and Management, and an online certificate course in Strengthening leadership Governance and Management.
Capacity building is one approach towards increasing human resource development for health to increase the number of qualified and skilled personnel to offer preventive and curative health care services while also effectively managing human and financial resources as well as infrastructural development. This training program is contributing to fill this gap that exists in Cameroon and other developing countries. There is a need to evaluate the performance of the trainees in the workplace to determine the impact of the training on the population.
