Access to health care and services Universal Health Coverage operational in CameroonUniversal Cameroon

Under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Cameroon, H.E. Paul BIYA, the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Manaouda Malachie presided over the launch ceremony of the Universal Health Coverage, April 12, 2023 in Mandjou, Eastern Region.

Murielle Esson Ebangue

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 will forever remain a date etched in the memory of the people of Mandjou, the Eastern region and Cameroon in general. This historic date marks the kick-off of Universal Health Coverage activities in Cameroon. “People are happy to welcome this innovative project that should give everyone a smile,” Innocent Kassala, Mayor of Mandjou Commune, said in his speech yesterday at the launch ceremony. According to the World Health Organization, “Universal Health Coverage is about ensuring that all people have access to the preventive,
palliative, rehabilitation, and health promotion services they need, and that these services are of sufficient quality to be effective without causing financial hardship to their users.” Following the instruction of the Head of State, the National Technical Group (GTN) created in 2015 under the coordination of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, and co-chaired by the Minister of Public Health and the Minister of Labor and Social Security, has since been working to lay the foundations for Universal Health Coverage in Cameroon (UHC).
These included: reflecting on the situation of essential services and care in Cameroon; assessing the conditions for households’ access to such care; determining the share of households’ contribution to the provision of essential services and care; measuring the financial
risk incurred by households and determining the conditions for implementing UHC in Cameroon. During this launch ceremony, Dr. Annicet Désiré Mintop, UHC Phase I National Technical Coordinator, reviewed the UHC generalities with a focus on enrollment. Enrollment
occurs in one of two ways: by stationing in a dedicated facility, or door-to-door in households according to a schedule developed in collaboration with leaders at all levels. In either case, an enlisting agent identifiable by a badge will proceed with the registration operations. To be enrolled, beneficiaries
will have to bring one of the following documents: the birth certificate; the marriage certificate;
the National Identity Card; the school card; the student card; the residence card; the passport or the disability certificate for the disabled.
Social networks After enrollment, each beneficiary will withdraw his registration card in the place and period indicated on presentation of the receipt received during enrollment. Parents and relatives will be able to remove registration cards from their children
and vulnerable people from their households. In his remarks, the Minister of Public Health spoke about the importance of Universal Health Coverage. “It means that every person has access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship,” he said. “It encompasses the full range of essential health services throughout life, from health promotion and prevention to treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.” He also said that more than 7,000 people have already signed up on the platform, and he urged everyone to continue spreading the word to ensure mass enrollment. It was also an opportunity for him to urge everyone not to give in to misinformation. He warned the audience against “Facebook intellectuals” and “social media intellectuals” because “our health is not in social networks,” he said.
Monument The Minister of Health’s journey continued with visits to the enrollment posts of the chieftaincy and the CMA of Mandjou, the Bertoua
Regional Hospital and finally the publishing center of the CSU, housed at the Regional Delegation
of Public Health of the East. In the aftermath, the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Monument was inaugurated. Before taking leave from the Eastern Region, Dr. Manaouda Malachie and his successor stopped by the UNHCR in Bertoua for a working session to inquire about the progress of the work.