The Director of the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Health Services is pleased to inform disability, health stakeholders, and the general public that on June 24, 2021, the CBC Health Services together with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS), some State Universities and institutions of higher learning, and its Dutch-based partner AFAS Foundation through the Liliane Fonds (LF), will be launching a new project known as “Rehabilitation Compass for Inclusion (RCI)”.
This project is aimed at increasing the number of trained Physiotherapists (PT), Occupational Therapists (OT), and Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Field Workers in Cameroon.
The Rehabilitation Compass for Inclusion Project was designed in 2019 based on a survey that revealed that many children in Cameroon who need timely and quality Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and CBR services cannot have it due to limited trained personnel. Occupational Therapy which is also a key profession in the rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities is absent, while no formal training program exists in Community Based Rehabilitation.
This survey outcome is corroborated by statistics from the Ministry of Public Health which show general gross inadequacies between existing workforce and care seekers in the country. With regards to rehabilitation services, a 2019 Report by the World Confederation of Physiotherapy (WCPT) unveiled that only an estimated 250 Physiotherapists (0.10 per 10,000 people) are available in Cameroon. This limited trained personnel further compromises the Country’s chances to meet Universal Health Coverage exigencies, of which rehabilitation services are key indicators as reflected under the WHO Rehabilitation 2030 agenda.
In response to this growing gap in rehabilitation services, the CBC Health Services designed the RCI Project to increase the number of trained service providers in a bid to improve access to and quality of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and CBR services, especially to meet the need for Children, Youths and Adults with Disabilities in Cameroon. Over a period of 4 (four) years, the CBC Health Services will collaborate with the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Higher Education, and partners to develop standard curricula, support some Universities and Institutions of Higher Learning to initiate and run Certificate Courses ranging from Diploma to Masters Levels.
The launch of the RCI Project will be a high moment. It will be done virtually by Zoom, under the leadership of the Minister of Social Affairs and attended by the donor organization – AFAS Foundation/LF, National and International Partners, education and health stakeholders including selected institutions of higher learning, who will host these training programmes.
This RCI initiative is part of the CBC Health Services’ continuous efforts to improve the quality of life and the socio-economic wellbeing of Persons with Disabilities in Cameroon. This is very much in line with National Strategies in the domains of health, higher education, and social services.
Please indicate your participation by sending a WhatsApp message, or SMS to the number 6 52 84 99 29, and a zoom link will be generated and shared with you. You can also send an email to edid@cbchealthservices.org or call 677753030 to indicate your participation.
For more information visit www.cbchealthservices.org or call the RCI Project Management on Tel: +237 673300711/ 677753032.