Mobile Clinic Reaches Three New Villages

In September 2024, the Foundation's mobile healthcare team made its first visits to three new communities: Mbengwi, Bali, and Wum — all in the North West Region of Cameroon, all significantly underserved by the formal health system.

The expansion was made possible by a combination of additional funding from diaspora donors and a partnership with a Cameroonian medical NGO that provided two additional trained health workers for the outreach visits.

"In Wum, the last health worker visit had been fourteen months earlier," says the programme lead. "We saw 87 patients in one day. The need was overwhelming — and it was entirely predictable."

“In Wum, the last health worker visit had been fourteen months earlier. We saw 87 patients in one day. The need was overwhelming — and it was entirely predictable.”

Across the three communities, the team conducted basic health screenings, provided maternal and child health consultations, administered vaccinations, and distributed essential medicines. They also trained twelve community health volunteers — local residents who will serve as the first point of contact for health concerns between outreach visits.

The community health volunteer model is central to the programme's sustainability strategy. Rather than creating dependence on external visits, the Foundation invests in building local capacity — ensuring that communities have someone trained to identify warning signs, provide basic care, and know when to refer.

The September visits identified 23 cases requiring referral to district health facilities — including four cases of severe malnutrition in children under five, and two cases of undiagnosed hypertension in adults over 50. All 23 cases were followed up within two weeks.

The three new communities will now be part of the regular outreach rotation, with visits scheduled every six to eight weeks. The programme is also working with community leaders to identify suitable spaces for a permanent community health post in each location.