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relevant in order to promote new talent and help ensure that skills taught in the educational
system are consistent with the requirements of the labour market.
E. Consulting a Physician
To date, parental authorization is not required for medical consultation by a child.
On the contrary, the department of health, child rights institutions and the entire social set
up of the country encourage access by all to medical care.
Regarded as one of the priority social sectors, healthcare in general, and women
and children‟s health in particular, are high on the policy agenda. Access by children to
medical consultation and quality health care is an indicator of development and public
welfare. The State has therefore been allocating increasing resources to improve the
health system and access by all people to quality care:
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Framework law on public health adopted;
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Health map prepared and has near universal coverage;
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Access too drugs facilitated for all, by way of public subsidies, multilateral
support, hospital pharmacies and sale of generic drugs;
-
Training of doctors and other health staff is ongoing. Once qualified, staff are
transferred all over the country;
-
Hospital consultation costs 600 CFAF. Children receive government financial
assistance on a case-by-case basis, upon intervention of a social worker.
There are, however, a number of basic obstacles to full access to medical
consultations by all persons: the large-scale departure of physicians and other specialists
because of problems finding employment and poor pay in the public sector; and the
insufficient quantity and quality of health-care personnel, infrastructures and equipment,
making it difficult to provide all children with medical care. The cost of medicine remains
inaccessible to many poor families.
Nevertheless, through the determination of decision makers, children are the main
beneficiaries of all health-care programmes in Cameroon. Antiretroviral drugs are now free
for all children up to age 15 living with AIDS.