Stakeholders in the public health sector were in Buea to assess the level of implementation.

All 10 Regional Delegates of Public Health in Cameroon on Thursday, February 5, 2015,

converged in Buea to evaluate the ‘First Annual Value For Results Project’ that is implemented by the Ministry of Public Health.

Opening the workshop, which spanned from February 5-7, 2015, South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, told the Regional Delegates to be diligent as they search to improve methods to better the healthcare of the population. “You can agree with me that protecting manpower is of top priority and as such, all strategies aimed at maintaining human capital in good health must not be neglected,” he told the participants.

Dr. Eyong Efobi John, Sub-Director in the Ministry of Public Health, revisited the activities implemented since the inception of the programme a year ago. He noted with satisfaction that the project has curbed maternal mortality, improved the rate of vaccination of infants from 0-5 years, and encouraged more women to engage in antenatal clinic; in addition to achieving a great reduction in mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS, among others.

The project, which started in 2014, is being implemented in 26 Health Districts in seven of the 10 regions in Cameroon; namely Adamawa, Centre, Far North, Littoral, North, South and South West. Five of the Health Districts are in the South West Region. Dr. Eyong Efobi regretted the fact that some expectant mothers still do not attend antenatal clinic. Medical staff are another concern as those who go on retirement are not replaced. South West Delegate of Public Health, Dr. Victor Mbome Njie, added his voice to the same challenges and called on expectant mothers to help the project to succeed by attending antenatal clinic.