Some health personnel amongst them medical doctors, nurses and midwives have been equipped with skills required to effectively provide care to victims and survivors of Gender Based violence particularly post rape care. The over 160 health service personnel selected from the North West and South West Regions took in two separate training programs organised by the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services CBCHS between July 14 and 19, 2020.
The participants have been schooled on the clinical management of rape, collecting forensic evidence for medico-legal purposes, offering psycho-social support, and effecting referrals and counter referrals in the linkages involved during case management of GBV and Child abuse incidences.
According to Nsono Josephine one of the facilitators and Gender expert, her focus was on the entire service package and their inter-connectivity throughout the referral pathway from entry point (medical, through psychosocial, to mental health, to legal, safe shelter, economic empowerment, and reinsertion) to case closure what that entails focused on the survivor-centered approach."
According to 2018 demographic and Health Survey in Cameroon, 43% of women and 44% of men have been subjected to violence experience. The ongoing armed conflict in the Southwest and Northwest regions of Cameroon has made the matter worst with an increase in cases and devastating consequences.
Gender activists have raised concerns over the increasing cases of GBV as a result of the coronavirus pandemic confinement with a call for concerted action for it to end due to the consequences.