The Regional Delegate for Public Health Dr. Ambe Lionel Neba has officially launched the Full Portfolio Planning (FPP) Project in the Northwest Region. The launching took place October 17, 2025 at the NW Regional Delegation of Public Health.
The FPP Project is a scheme put in place to strengthen ongoing immunization activities in Cameroon, in the context of humanitarian crises where some children fail to receive their routine vaccines, thereby exposing them to preventable diseases and epidemic outbreaks.
It is worth noting that vaccination coverage in the Northwest region has plummeted in the wake of the socio-political crises. Still, other contributory factors include traditional and cultural beliefs, misinformation and limited access to health services. In response to this, the CBCHS is implementing the Full Portfolio Planning (FPP) project, which aims at increasing vaccination demand through an inclusive community engagement involving local authorities, religious and community leaders, health workers, CSOs, and CBOs, in Kumbo East, Kumbo West, Nkambe and Wum Health Districts (HDs). Through workshops, training, and awareness campaigns, the project aims to enhance coordination, foster trust in health services, and promote community adherence to vaccination.
In his welcome address, the Director of CBC Health Services Mr. Ngum Samuel painted the picture of the project intended to meet these children in their respective localities given the challenges they face to access health care in health facilities. The involvement of CSOs, Community Leaders and Community Champions at all levels will be involved to work together in this vaccination drive to scale out vaccination, and mitigate vaccine preventable diseases, which sometimes degenerate to disastrous epidemics, he added.
The Regional Delegate of Public Health Dr Ambe in his speech highlighted the need to fill all gaps; cover missed opportunities for vaccinations and ensure the coverage of all zero dose children especially in hard-to-reach and underserved communities in the earmarked regions and communities. The success of the immunization program, and the elimination of vaccine hesitancy he emphasized, depends not only on the availability of vaccines but also depends a lot on the strategies engaged by key stakeholders like the CBOs. He reminded the CBOs of the unique advantage they have to ensure the success of the project, while calling them to gain the trust, engagement and create awareness of the communities whose behaviors and attitudes towards vaccines need to change. Thanks to the work of the CBOs in strengthening the capacities of the communities, and integrating them systematically into the immunization strategy, social mobilization and community dialogue will be improved, myths and misconceptions about vaccines will be dispelled, behavioral change communication will be promoted, active tracking and referral of unvaccinated children and pregnant women to the health facilities will be facilitated, and local accountability by ensuring that every health area and district owns its data and results will be strengthened, he elaborated.
The objective of the FPP project is to align community efforts with National Immunization priorities ensuring evidence based, people-centered and sustainable interventions. The new roadmap the delegate emphasized is to ensure that “no child is left behind”. He used the occasion to extend his appreciation to all the technical and financial partners for their continuous support. He also recognized all the health workers and Community Health Workers for their daily sacrifices to support community health and challenged them to continue to think innovatively, strengthen partnerships and develop actionable portfolios that translate commitments into tangible results at the grassroot levels. With this new approach, he foresees immunization becoming a community movement “Owned by the People, Led by the People and Sustained by the People”. In Cameroon, the FPP project is scaled out by the Ministry of Public Health with the Cameroon Baptist Convention, CBC Health Services as one of the main implementing partners. Co-implemented with Provaressc; the CBC Health Services will cover the Northwest, Southwest, Adamawa, North and Far North Regions of Cameroon, with Mr Dimba Marmo as project Coordinator. The FPP project is implemented thanks to Gavi the Vaccine Alliance through the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health.
