Health Promotion, on its part, is done through three (3) intervention categories:
- comprehensive communication on health programmes;
- health, nutrition and the environment;
- primary prevention of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases.
Despite all efforts deployed to improve the health situation of children, there are still some
obstacles, including:
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the low number of children actually sleeping under ITNs (28.2%), making
malaria the main cause of death and morbidity in children under five;
the resurgence of epidemics (measles and poliomyelitis) related to the fact that
4.5% of children aged between 11 and 23 months do not receive any vaccines;
activities to combat malnutrition are mainly carried out by specific programmes
of the Ministry of Health (MINSANTE) and there are not enough trained
professionals in the domain;
the still high rate of birth-related deaths (782 women out of 100 00 live births as
against 669 out of 100 000 live births in 2004) as well as home deliveries
(37.3%);
insufficient financial resources;
the inadequacy of the health system including the lack of qualified staff;
the poor appropriation by the communities of the importance of immunisation
and the low immunisation coverage of very remote areas.
To remedy the situation, the Government plans to:
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introduce in 2015, a vaccine against meningitis A, enhancing the routine EPI,
reinforcing lobbying before opinion leaders, pursuing mass awareness-raising
campaigns;
enhancing LLIN distribution campaigns in 2015;
completing the process to develop the National Programme to Control Maternal,
Neonatal and Infant Mortality;
drawing up a new strategy to curb maternal and neonatal mortality (2013–2020);
carrying out, with the support of technical and financial partners, investments in
the field of health, paying particular attention to youths and women as well as to
the guidance and care of vulnerable social groups.
Breastfeeding
Implementing the provisions of the ACRWC led to actions such as promoting
breastfeeding through national awareness campaigns for families; the celebration in
Cameroon of the World Breastfeeding Day; including breastfeeding in the budget
allocations of MINSANTE; organizing awareness campaigns targeting leaders, traditional
rulers and families; disseminating and effectively implementing the National Code on the
Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (IDAY and Plan Cameroon are the two NGOs
assisting the Ministry of Public Health in the Breastfeeding Programme).
Despite these measures, notably the adoption of a National Code on the Marketing of
Breast-milk Substitutes and the various actions conducted, exclusive breastfeeding rates
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