MAXIMIZING POSITIVE SYNERGIES - World Health Organization
MAXIMIZING POSITIVE SYNERGIES - World Health Organization
MAXIMIZING POSITIVE SYNERGIES - World Health Organization
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Cameroon: Impact of Global <strong>Health</strong> Initiatives on<br />
primary level health care facilities:<br />
Abstract<br />
The case of Kumba and Limbe <strong>Health</strong> Districts<br />
Peter M. Ndumbe, Julius Atashili 9<br />
In the past five years, The Republic of Cameroon has received support from at least two GHIs: the<br />
Global Fund and GAVI. Although national data suggest an overall improvement of health service<br />
delivery and outcomes with these initiatives, it is not clear what their impact has been on<br />
peripheral primary level health facilities. We surveyed 18 health facilities in the Kumba and Limbe<br />
health districts in the South-West region of Cameroon. Overall, data collection and storage in these<br />
facilities was rudimentary, seriously hampering an exhaustive assessment of the impact of GHIs.<br />
Nevertheless, the limited available data suggest modest increases in human resources and not<br />
much improvement in the financing of these health facilities, the infrastructure, and selected<br />
indicator services such as referral services, tuberculosis care services and radiology services. Most<br />
peripheral facilities could identify specific immunization activities that were indirectly supported<br />
by GAVI. The impact of the Global Fund was mainly experienced in the regional (provincial) and<br />
district hospitals, in which there were improvements in the human resources, and facilities<br />
involved in tuberculosis and/or HIV care. Notwithstanding, these services still appeared<br />
insufficient, as district level data revealed a lower than expected vaccine coverage rate and low<br />
antiretroviral adherence rates. The assessment of the impact of GHIs in this milieu and their<br />
subsequent improvement will require a more rigorous monitoring and evaluation system at the<br />
peripheral level.<br />
Background<br />
Cameroon is bordered by the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the west; the Republic of Chad to the<br />
northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea,<br />
Gabonese Republic, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon ranked 150th out of<br />
179 countries on the UN Human Development Index in 2006 [1].<br />
The health system in Cameroon is organized at three levels: a central level including national<br />
administrative units in the Ministry of <strong>Health</strong> (MOH), along with referral hospitals, responsible for<br />
setting policy; an intermediary level, including regional delegations and regional programme<br />
coordinators, in charge of technical support to district-level programmes; and a peripheral level,<br />
which is composed of health areas grouped into health districts and is considered the operational<br />
level for the provision of primary health care services.<br />
9<br />
Faculty of <strong>Health</strong> Sciences, University of Buea / Centre for the Study and Control of Communicable Diseases, University<br />
of Yaounde I<br />
31