Cameroon-First pilot implementation agreement signed.
Cameroon overview.
Cameroon is a lower-middle-income country with a population of over 25 million. Cameroon is endowed with rich natural resources, including oil and gas, mineral ores, and high-value species of timber, as well as agricultural products such as coffee, cotton, cocoa, maize, and cassava.
Despite this, the average daily wage is around $2 US per day (36,200 FCFA) and life expectancy is one of the lowest in the world at 58.1 years which gives Cameroon a World Life Expectancy ranking of 174.(WHO 2018).
The country receives hundreds of millions of dollars a year in international aid to treat Malaria, HIV and Tuberculosis. The Government of Cameroon and the Global Fund have signed an agreement for the funding of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to the tune of FCFA 164 billion for a period running from 2021 to 2023.
Immunify and Cameroon.
After years of careful and thorough discussion and research, governments and NGOs across Africa and Asia have developed and tested our technology and are now ready to progress to the next phase of our development plan ( see our development plan).
Because of its challenges and health profile Cameroon was selected as the site of our first in-field study. This follows an extensive research and testing trip in four different locations in remote areas of the country.
Guy Newing CEO Immunify.life (From far left to right ) , Mbi Tabentando, Director of African operations Immunify.life and Sanjoy D Sousa Chief Scientific officer Immunify.life. Meeting with the Secretary of Heath and her Team in Yaounde Cameroon to discuss in-field evaluation of our Health Management System
Above - Bangangte Medical Center Cameroon one of the sites for initial field evaluation.
The partner NGO is Blessing Associates for Women and Children-BAWAC Cameroon their charismatic leader, MS Baiye Frida Ebai is keen to see how the use of advanced blockchain based technology can improve health and quality of life in Cameroon.
MS Baiye Frida Ebai, is a peace-builder, humanitarian advocate, human frontline defender and communications specialist and the founder of Blessing Associates for Women and Children-BAWAC Cameroon which has a mission to give a dignified life to all. Her organisation focuses on health, education, economic empowerment schemes, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention measures, human rights and peace-building processes.
MS Baiye Frida Ebai, says “ My goal in life is creating an environment in which every woman or girl can exercise her human rights and live to her full potential. My experiences in building resilient communities and individuals, economic and social empowerment schemes, peace-building initiatives and developmental and mental health and psychosocial well-being all advancing sustainable development goals are my driving force to work for humanity.
2018 was the defining moment for me and many other women-led organisations in the South West and North West Regions of Cameroon who, while working on the humanitarian settings, witnessed first hand the untold suffering of communities bearing the brunt of the warring parties and deciding to come out as one to contribute significantly in ending the Anglophone crisis. That same year, we witnessed an increase in the internally displaced populations and refugees in neighbouring Nigeria, the loss in livelihoods and the arbitrary arrests and detentions and so it was time to speak up and consistently call on both warring parties to engage in a genuine and sincere dialogue for peace processes to be effected by a third party.”
What could be done at the national / international level to help you work in safer conditions?
How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted your work?
Part of my work with survivors of GBV entails giving psychosocial first aid and emergency treatment especially for rape cases. With the shutdown of communities and health families during the early days of governments trying to ensure Covid-19 prevention activities, it was very hard on the survivors and case workers as we had very limited access to resources and transportation. To add, there is an increase in intimate partner violence due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as victims and their abusers were forced to stay in confined spaces with limited access to resources (financial and healthcare) or services to help them cope with their stressful experiences. The absence of safe spaces and shelter is greatly felt now because of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the very few safe houses/shelters we had for GBV survivors were closed and survivors had to bear the brunt of that decision thereby causing more damage to an already stressful situation and adding to my workload.
Executed agreement signed
