The CBC Health Services, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has taken a major step toward improving equitable access to healthcare by training leaders of associations of persons with disabilities on the full range of free, lifesaving Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services available across conflict-affected communities in the North West and South West regions.
The one-day orientation workshop brought together 15 disability association leaders selected in collaboration with regional coordinating units (CUAPWD NW/SW and NWAWD). The session aimed to ensure that women and girls with disabilities—who remain among the most disproportionately affected by the crisis—can fully benefit from the ECHO-funded SRH services implemented by CBCHS under the 2025 UNFPA humanitarian workplan.
Removing Barriers, Expanding Access
Persons with disabilities face heightened risks during the ongoing conflict, including mobility challenges, limited access to information, and increased vulnerability to GBV. Many lack the knowledge or support needed to access essential services such as safe delivery care, family planning, emergency obstetric interventions, fistula repair, and psychosocial support.
The workshop addressed these gaps directly. Through interactive presentations, case studies, group discussions, and survivor stories, participants gained a clear understanding of available SRH and GBV services and where to access them across CBCHS-supported facilities in Ndu, Ekondo Titi, Kumba, Finkwi, and Ashong.
By the end of the session, participants demonstrated strong knowledge of referral pathways and were committed to disseminating the information within their associations, ensuring far-reaching community awareness.
Impact: Empowering Disability Leaders as Community Health Advocates
The workshop represents a critical investment in equitable healthcare delivery. The trained leaders—many with wide community reach—are now equipped to:
- Guide women and girls with disabilities to health facilities offering free SRH/GBV services
- Improve early health-seeking behaviour within their communities
- Strengthen GBV reporting and referral for survivors with disabilities
- Reduce preventable maternal and neonatal deaths among disability groups
- Reinforce inclusion and accountability in humanitarian response
Participants expressed gratitude for being intentionally included in the project’s intervention strategy, noting that disability groups are often overlooked in crisis settings.
Advancing the “Leave No One Behind” Commitments
The orientation reinforces the broader objective of the UNFPA/ECHO–CBCHS humanitarian partnership—to ensure that all vulnerable groups in hard-to-reach areas have uninterrupted access to lifesaving care. By integrating disability inclusion within SRH and GBV services, the project continues to demonstrate strong alignment with humanitarian principles, donor priorities, and global commitments to inclusive health.
This effort not only strengthens community resilience but also advances the shared goal of ensuring that every woman and girl—regardless of ability or circumstance—can access dignified, lifesaving reproductive health services.
