Cameroon – SOS Medical and Social Centres

In Cameroon there is currently one Social Centre and two Medical Centres for children and the local community, in Mbalmayo and Douala.  Many SOS Social Centres operate via Family Strengthening Programmes, which aim to support the wider community.  Below is some information about some of the Social Centres that SOS Children runs in Cameroon:  

SOS Medical Centre in Cameroon: In-Depth

Mbalmayo

Description of SOS Medical Centre:

The SOS Medical Centre at Mbalmayo, Cameroon, helps more than 5,000 orphaned and vulnerable children and their families in the local community each year. The SOS Medical Centre has nearly 5,500 patients for general consultations and for prevention programmes – vaccinations and education. In addition the pharmacy and the laboratory have provided invaluable support to the local community.

Work and Achievements:

During the year 2009, we take notice of a slight increase of patients compared to the year 2008.

However, it should be noted that the maternity hospital knew a significant increase in consultations (prenatal, family planning), which went from 668 consultations and 61 deliveries in 2008 to 770 consultations and 64 deliveries in 2009.

Beyond the follow -up and the medical monitoring of patients, the main activities at the medical centre in 2009 consisted of:

-    Participation in the Family Strengthening Program with the medical follow-up of families in this program,

-    Participation in the national vaccination days in the community (schools, churches, homes)

-    Following up programs such as family planning, prevention of mother to child HIV/AIDS transmission, health education, care of infant diseases are implemented within the centre.

The SOS medical centre of Mbalmayo works like the majority of medical centres in the country with the minimum package of activities required by the Ministry of Health (vaccination, health education, maternal and child protection (PMI), pharmacy, laboratory, curative care) for a health centre of our level.

It participates in all national health programs such as the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), prevention of mother – child transmission of  HIV / AIDS (PMTCT), obstetric and neonatal emergency (SONU), facilities of care taking for patients infected by HIV / AIDS (UPEC) ... etc.

SOS Social Centres around Cameroon: In-Depth

Mbalmayo

Description of SOS Social Centre/FSP:

An SOS Social Centre, opened in July 2004, aims to support people who have been infected with the HIV virus and their families (their children in particular). The SOS Social Centre can provide help to 150 children from families in need. In addiction to that, it raises awareness of the HIV virus among the people from neighbouring areas. It also provides people or families affected by the virus with food and supports them financially and materially (scholarships for children and one-off donations from school material and school uniforms)

Douala

Description of SOS Social Centre/FSP:

Within the village compound, there is also an SOS Social Centre, combined with a little medical centre. There, the aim is to provide the people with medical care and inform them about local preventative measures. The centre has a treatment room, an examination room, a pharmacy, some offices for the director and the social- and pedagogical workers as well as an administration area. Up to 1,000 patients can be seen there every month.