Department of Health (DS)
Restoring health through faith-based excellence.
- Based in
- CEPCA headquarters, Yaoundé
- Coverage
- All 10 regions of Cameroon
Key figures
The work, in numbers
- Regions of Cameroon served
- 10
- Member churches in the health network
- 9 of 12
- Hospitals and health centres
- 450+
- Healthcare training schools
- 12
- Health personnel
- 10,000+
- Medical doctors
- 270
- Specialists
- 236
- Outpatient consultations a year (average)
- 1,755,868
- Hospital admissions a year (average)
- 675,345
- Safe deliveries a year (average)
- 51,837
- Vaccinations a year (average)
- 476,674
Coordinates public health activities of member churches; represents church medical works before the Government, particularly the Ministry of Public Health.
Guided by faith and driven by God's boundless love, the Council of Protestant Churches of Cameroon (CPCC) is dedicated to providing transformative, holistic and high-quality healthcare. Rooted in biblical principles and Christian values, our mission is to restore the physical, emotional and spiritual vitality of individuals and communities throughout Cameroon, realising our goal: “Together, One Church.”
Mission and mandate
- Coordinate the public-health activities of CEPCA's member churches.
- Represent the member churches' medical works before the Government, in particular the Ministry of Public Health.
- Offer patients a warm welcome and quality care in our facilities, with priority given to the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and to community health.
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Objectives
Our strategic objectives promote inclusive access to quality healthcare, holistic health and well-being, a stronger health workforce and infrastructure, and sustainable growth.
1. Ensure inclusive access to quality, compassionate healthcare
- Accelerate access to quality reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCH) services, with an emphasis on reducing maternal and neonatal mortality.
- Improve access to essential care for vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons and persons with disabilities.
- Empower member churches to establish and deliver basic health services, by expanding our healthcare network.
2. Promote holistic health and well-being
- Launch a comprehensive health education programme — preventive care, nutrition and hygiene — delivered by trained volunteers in at least 50% of member parishes.
- Integrate mental health services into primary care in all major CPCC health facilities.
- Organise quarterly vaccination and screening campaigns for common diseases, with local churches and community leaders.
3. Strengthen human resources and infrastructure for health
- Run a continuing professional development programme giving all clinical staff up-to-date training in modern medical practice and technology.
- Develop and deploy a digital medical records system in all CPCC health facilities.
- Create a recruitment and retention fund to attract and keep qualified health professionals in hard-to-serve locations.
4. Promote unity and sustainable growth
- Create a transparent, centralised financial management system for all Health Department activities.
- Form a Health Department board, with representatives of the member churches, to guide strategy and foster shared ownership.
- Diversify funding through partnerships with international NGOs, foundations and existing partners.
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What we do
We provide comprehensive general medical services alongside a wide range of specialised care.
Specialised care
- Internal medicine — cardiology, endocrinology, neurology and oncology.
- Surgical specialties — general surgery, paediatric surgery, orthopaedics and ophthalmology.
- Family and specialised health — gynaecology and obstetrics, paediatrics and dentistry.
- Diagnostic and support services — radiology, dermatology, pharmacy and ENT (ear, nose and throat).
Programmes and activities
- Access to care — establishing and strengthening maternal and child health clinics in the member churches, and providing subsidised essential medicines and basic health services in rural and underserved communities.
- Holistic health — health education campaigns on hygiene, nutrition and preventive care in at least half of the parishes, and mental health counselling in primary care facilities.
- Health workforce — continuing professional development workshops for doctors, nurses and community health workers, and a digital medical records system across CPCC health facilities.
- Unity and sustainable growth — a centralised financial management system, a Health Department board with representatives of the member churches, partnerships with international NGOs and foundations, and an annual health conference to share good practice.
- Community engagement — health awareness programmes with local schools for children and adolescents, health fairs and open days with community leaders, parish volunteers trained as health ambassadors, and health newsletters and radio programmes in local languages.
- Coordination — a meeting every quarter with the health-service coordinators of each member church.
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Structures
The department is run by its Technical Committee, headed by the Executive Secretary and supported by an office clerk. Its network brings together the health services of nine of the twelve member churches, each with its own health-service coordinator.
DS
Support our work
The Health Department is building partnerships with international NGOs, foundations and existing partners — for funding and for technical support — to widen access to quality, compassionate care across Cameroon. It is also seeking support for a recruitment and retention fund, to attract and keep qualified health professionals where they are needed most.