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Dr Matshidiso Moeti , Africa Regional Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO
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Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Africa Regional Director of the World
Health Organisation (WHO) ended her three days visit to Cameroon on Saturday
February 23rd without making a strong public pronouncement on the recent
attacks and killings of health personnel
and others at risk in the
conflict-hit North West and South West Regions of the country.
Controversial
narratives and condemnation from stakeholders have trailed arson on health
facilities and killing of personnel in many trouble spots in the
English-speaking Regions. The case of the Kumba District Hospital razed on
February11 remains fresh.
Most
health facilities in the affected regions have been razed and others cutoff
from the national grid leaving thousands without access to basic health care
mostly affecting women and children.
During
her stay in Cameroon, the WHO official discussed with state authorities on a
new government drive to make universal health coverage a reality.
DrMatshidiso was received in audience at the presidency of
the Republic by the Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency
FerdiandNgohNgoh, the Minister of external Relations, the Prime Minister and
the minister of public health.
Besides,
she equally visited the BiyemAssi District Hospital in Yaounde, The Mother and
Child Center of the Chantal Biya Foundation and the Faculty of Medicine and
Biomedical Sciences in the University of Yaounde I. At the University, the WHO
Africa boss did a presentation on Universal Health Coverage.
Throughout
the high level discussions, the medic
was focused on seeing how
investments in the health sector can be increased to ensure greater access of
communities to health services.
At the
end of these engagements, the WHO Africa head granted a press conference in
Yaounde alongside the Minister of Public Health. As she left Yaounde to her
base, the WHO official sounded positive
on government’s intension to make universal health coverage a reality.
To
Cameroonians, the medic urged them to
contribute in the process. She averred that, making universal health coverage a
reality is not the sole responsibility of Government. She said though
discussions have been made on how to finance such a scheme and make it
working, Cameroonians too “should own up
and contribute to their health”.
A press
Kit released on the eve of her visit to Cameroon indicates that, some 1.5million
people will require humanitarian assistance to
meet up with their basic needs in 2019. The information acknowledges
that, the health situation in “ these priority regions is marked by a significant drop in the number
of functional health facilities, Provision of services by qualified personnel
and access to basic health treatment as well as poor vaccination coverage among
the affected population due to insecurity thus leading to re-emergence of
epidemics such as measles, cholera and
yaws”.
In its
humanitarian response plan, the WHO has field offices in the Far North, East,
North West and South West Regions.
In the
two English speaking Regions, WHO personnel have been keen on catering for
those that are traumatized and wounded. The WHO observes that, armed conflicts in the Far North, Central
African Republic and the Anglophone zones has resulted in forced displacements.
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