By SA'AH SIONA IKEI
Cameroon is taking significant strides in its efforts to combat tuberculosis (TB) through a community-focused approach. As part of the Global Fund Initiative, an "Advocacy Workshop" held recently in Yaounde aimed at strengthening community engagement in pandemic preparedness and response. Organized by the NGO For Impact in Social Health (FIS) Cameroon, the workshop brought together 50 participants. They sharpened their awareness and knowledge about community engagement and leadership in pandemic governance (CELG) concepts.
The attendees included representatives from various sectors, such as Last Miles Populations organizations, TB associations/networks, and COVID-19/pandemic preparedness and response processes and platforms.
‘‘One of the objectives is to make sure that we can meet the End TB goals by 2030. Today is a great opportunity to bring together all the key stakeholders so that they can brainstorm and come up with strategies and structures, vote people and engage in collective efforts to end TB by 2030.’’ Said Bertrand Kampoer, FIS Cameroon’s Executive Director.
According to proceedings of a previous workshop organized by The Global Fund in December, 2021, progress made in providing essential TB services and reducing the global burden of the disease was reversed in 2020, with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the disruptions caused by this pandemic, programs to combat diseases like tuberculosis have seen rapid acceleration and remarkable recovery in recent years.
One of the key objectives of the Advocacy workshop was to finalize a three-year country engagement plan for community engagement in pandemic preparedness. This plan, developed by FIS Cameroon in collaboration with other stakeholders, would serve as a roadmap for establishing and strengthening the pandemic preparedness response multi-sectorial platform in Cameroon.
As facilitators, Dr. Abah Abah Aristide, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Health, and Dr. Annie Bisso, Director of the National TB Program, alongside FIS guided the participants through various sessions, presentations, and group discussions.
During the workshop, a research report on the engagement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the response to tuberculosis, COVID-19, and other pandemics in Cameroon was presented and approved. The report, developed by FIS Cameroon highlighted the challenges faced by vulnerable populations, such as limited access to healthcare services, malnutrition, and poor living conditions, which increase their risk of contracting TB or COVID-19 in the past.
The workshop also focused on establishing linkages between representatives and constituencies on various platforms. A SWOT analysis was conducted, and brainstorming sessions led to recommendations for improving the effectiveness in responding to future pandemics.
Emphasizing on the importance of community engagement, the workshop highlighted the key lessons learned from other countries' experiences.
Representatives from organizations such as the Global Fund, Stop TB Geneva, and ACT Africa shared their insights and success stories. This was a form of inspiration for the participants.
The workshop concluded with discussions on the lessons learned from the CELG project in Cameroon, case studies, and the development of an engagement plan for the next phase. The participants expressed their commitment to implementing the proposed strategies, guided by FIS Cameroon, and promised to ensure the active involvement of communities in pandemic preparedness and response efforts.
Present at the workshop in the capacity of the Representative of Internally Displaced Persons, was Mbuotna Anabi. He was appreciative of the fact that, a platform was being setup to ‘‘think about their wellbeing.’’ ‘‘We appreciate the initiative. I am thankful that their main target is the IDPs, especially the underprivileged. We pray that God facilitates wherever they will be heading."
By Sa'ah Siona Ikei,
Creative Storyteller.
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