STRATEGIC HUMANITARIAN SERVICES (SHUMAS)P.O BOX 5047. MILE SIX NKWEN, BAMENDA

PRESENTATION OF SHUMAS HEALTH

PROGRAMPresented by Gisela Berinyuy

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Health is a vital element in development, but it is unfortunately given less attention especially in the poor rural communities.

Health related problems are enormous in rural communities of Cameroon. The key challenges faced by the rural masses in the health domain include:

•limited access to effective health services•Insufficient health facilities in rural health clinics•High prevalence of HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmissible diseases•High infections of Communicable diseases caused by poor hygiene and sanitation

EFFECTS OF THE PROBLEM

Lack of qualified staffs results to• long distance trek to access health services,• Auto medication • wrong diagnosis and prescription by the unqualified staff

• In case of multiple emergencies the equipments are hardly sterilized.

• Most women give birth on locally made delivery beds which has been one of the main causes of high maternal mortality which stand at about 30 per 1000 in the rural communities

Faakui Maternity Room

• The importance of health cannot be over emphasized. 3 of the 8 MDGs directly address issues of health

• Retention of nurses in rural areas and measures to eradicate communicable diseases are some of WHO’s focal areas.

• The Cameroon GESP seeks create synergies necessary for successful implementation of the Health Sector Strategy to sustainably provide universal access to quality health services

SHUMAS INTERVENTION

STRATEGY In an attempt to improve on the health situation of rural masses, SHUMAS has developed the health program with the objective to :

i.Improve on maternal mortality

ii. Reduce infant mortalityiii. Contribute towards the fight

against HIV/AIDs and communicable diseases

iv. Improve rural access to proper health services

Activities To attend the aforementioned objectives,

SHUMAS has the following activities:

Training of 6 state registered nurses yearly for community health centres

We provide health equipment to rural health centres

We refurbish dilapidated health units in our rural communities

We Mainstream HIV/AIDS in all SHUMAS programs

We Construct toilets in schools We Provide hand washing facilities in l

schools We Provide potable water in communities

and schools. 

ACHIEVEMENTS

Thanks to our partners, Spreading Health UK, who have funded the training of 33 nurses. 18 currently working in their communities and 15 in training

We have rehabilitated 6 health clinics

Equipped about 15 health clinics Provided potable water in more

than 90 communities and schoolsProvided hand washing facilities

in schoolsConstructed toilets in schools

First batch of trained nurses

Participants on internship.

Nurses on practical training

Surgery in progress

Graduation of some nurses.

Nurses at work back in their communities

Trained Nurses working in communities

Laboratory work

Nseh Community Clinic before...

Situation after

Nseh Health Centre before...

Situation after

Supplying new beds..

New health centre equipment

Toilets...

Challenges

• Some communities are unable to compensate nurses working in communities• More than 3 applications flow

in for Aid in the health domain but we are able to provide just about 1 % of the applications

FUTURE PLANSSort for means to reach out

to more communitiesSolicit partnership with other

organizations to share experience and learn new development strategies to better reach out to communities

THANKS FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.

THE END.