The Director of the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board, Professor Tih Pius Muffih has challenged the government of Cameroon to do more in promoting health care for children as a critical aspect of making Cameroon an emerging nation by the year 2035.
Professor Tih Pius Muffih raised the issue in Bamenda on Friday 7 November 2014 as he joined media practitioners to promote the use of media and journalists for the welfare of children. Hear him “the CBC Health Services have been keen at promoting maternal and child health care. The health services of the Cameroon Baptist Convention are at the forefront of immunizations against childhood diseases, and offering maternal and child health to mothers. Governments, Cameroon included have hitherto not spent enough in maternal and child health but do expect to meet the Millenium development goals in 2015.”
The health expert intimated that “unless we consciously and systematically budget for health especially for mothers and their babies ,we will not meet the millennium goals targets.” He went on that the CBC Health Board has community HIV/AIDS campaign where thousands of men and women have been sensitized to live responsibly, adding that this initiative started as far back as the year 2000.
Corroborating the launching of the Cameroon Journalists For Children And Health association, CJCH which was the event of the day Professor Tih noted that “ children are vulnerable to various forms of abuses o or being deprived of their basic rights..According to him the CBC Health services has treated children who suffered injuries caused by one form of abuse or another.
These have been reflected in the Orphan program which counts over 4,000 children .He revealed that his organization mainstreams child protection and safeguarding as a cross cutting issue ,including children with or without disability and access to health services and ensuring the right to life by providing antenatal care which is to prevent infant mortality.
Professor Tih pius further mentioned the work his service is doing through focusing on the prevention and rehabilitation of disabilities such as bone care, eye, nose and throat care, physiotherapy and other related diseases.
Other facilities include the integrated school for the deaf in Mbingo, the integrated school for the blind in Kumbo as well as the social inclusion of persons with disabilities and the provision of livelihood opportunities.
The last opportunity, he concluded has been extended to include sex workers through economic empowerment or educational opportunities geared towards changing attitudes for a new beginning of life. Earlier, the president of the Cameroon Journalists For Children And Health, Nyinchuo Hilary announced that the association created last year was finally seeing the light of day through the launching ceremony. He however sounded an optimistic note that the seven objectives of the association which all revolve around children, a vulnerable target group will all be respected.
Other speakers at the event ,which was chaired by Nji Joseph ,on behalf of the north west governor include the representative of Plan Cameroon, the Director of the Centre For Human Rights , Peace and Advocacy, CHRAPA ,Chongsi Ayeah Joseph ,the coordinator of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Bamenda, Laura Anyola Tufoin amongst others. The executive members of the young association were also presented to the public
