SHUMAS CAMEROON

FOR A JUST ONE WORLD AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Good health is an important component of development. It has been enshrined in MDG 4 (reducing child mortality), MDG 5 (improving maternal health), and MDG 6 (combating malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases). Across the globe, there is a huge disparity in access health services in rural areas, compared to urban settlements.

According to baseline surveys carried out by SHUMAS, one of the most common challenges plaguing rural communities in Cameroon is inadequate health infrastructure and limited access to good medical services resulting from the absence of trained personnel in rural communities. Overall objective: To improve the health status of people living in peasant communities through the training of nurses for village health centres and the rehabilitation/equipping of health centers is rural Communities How it works: • SHUMAS sponsors the training of nurses in government recognized health institutions to work in poor rural health centers upon graduation • Constructs/rehabilitates and equips health centers in poor rural communities • Constructs toilets and hand washing facilities in rural health centers • Provides portable water to rural health centers • SHUMAS as an interface structure of the Ministry of Public Health coordinates activities of associations working in the health domain in the North West Region • In partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Public Health, SHUMAS has been involved in the follow up of routing and supplementary vaccinations in the West and North West Regions Achievements: • In partnership with Spreading Health UK, SHUMAS Enhanced health services in rural communities through the insertion of 52 trained nurses in rural health centers • Improved health facilities through the construction/rehabilitation and equipment of 60 health centers in rural communities • Through her partnership with UNICEF and MINSANTE on the follow up of routine and supplementary vaccination, over 4000 children who missed out on their vaccines have been identified and vaccinated Challenges: • Some of the communities are unable to compensate nurses when they return to work in their communities; this creates a difficult situation for the nurses, who must sustain themselves while working. • Many applications flow in for aid in the health domain but SHUMAS is only able to obtain funding for about 1% of the applications. Future plans SHUMAS hopes to outsource more funds to be able to reach out to more communities through new partnerships and strategies.

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