US Ambassador to Cameroon Hails Leadership of CBCHS
H.E Christopher John Lamora, US Ambassador to Cameroon has hailed Prof. Tih Pius Muffih, Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Director of Health Services (DHS)’s leadership and role in the health sector in Cameroon as a guarantee for more prospects of US Government support. He promised continuous collaboration with the CBC Health Services at least for the next two years.
Ambassador Lamora made the commendation during two days working visit in the West region to assess the impact of PEPFAR/CDC funding to the CBC Health Services to subdue HIV in the country.
At the West Regional Delegation of Public Health and in Bafoussam Regional Hospital on June 27 and at the Regional Hospital Annex in Dschang on June 28, 2023, the US Ambassador received firsthand testimonies from the Regional Delegate, Dr. Chimoun Daouda and Directors of the Regional Hospitals, Prof. Enoh Orock George for Bafoussam and Prof. Noubom Michel for Dschang on the cardinal role the CBC Health Services is playing in providing health care to the population of the West region.
According to the Regional Delegate, the CBC Health Services provides diverse healthcare interventions in 14 out of the 20 health districts in the West region. The Delegate informed the Ambassador that the CBC Health Services assisted his Delegation in the fight against COVID in the region thus, plans are underway to welcome the CBC Health Services into the remaining six health districts still uncovered by such a valuable partner.
On their part, Prof. Enoh Orock George and Prof. Noubom Michel outlined specific areas of interventions by the CBC Health Services in the Regional Hospital in Bafoussam and the Regional Hospital Annex in Dschang. These include among others; the setting up of functional HIV Treatment Centers in both hospitals, provision of HIV drugs and reagents for lab tests, setting up of HIV child friendly areas, training of staff and major renovations in the toilets and clinics.
Other presentations during the visit showed significant progress towards achieving the 95 95 95 targets by 2030. The presentations also highlighted challenges in out of stock situation of drugs and reagents and need for more training of staff in the domain of HIV.
Ambassador Lamora was pleased with the passion of the staff to provide care to the sick. He, however, declined to provide momentary answers to the challenges raised but assured that those challenges would be taken care of as the partnership with the CBC Health Services continues. He affirmed that the US Government is very concerned about the health of Cameroonians, because he put it, ‘Without good health, there can be no economic growth’. Thus, pandemics like HIV, Tuberculosis, COVID, and malaria among others are of great interest to the US Embassy, the Ambassador remarked.
A tour of the hospitals in Bafoussam and in Dschang took the US Ambassador to major areas of concern namely: Care and Treatment, Child Friendly Area, maternity and the laboratory. At each stop, jubilant doctors and senior staff lined up to receive the US Ambassador, some presenting bouquet of flowers.