AP-CARE is now a reality.
Preconception care is one of the strategies for preventing maternal and newborn deaths at a grassroots level, which improves birth preparation and optimizes the health of both mother and child during pregnancy and beyond. However, this has received little attention in low and middle-income countries in Cameroon. Therefore more action is needed to improve uptake of preconception care in our setting.
Preconception care refers to interventions provided to women and couples before conception (pregnancy). The aim is to address risk factors, health, and behavioral problems, such as nutritional, contraception, control of chronic conditions, mental health, micronutrient supplementation, tobacco use, genetics, vaccination, and sexually transmitted infections, which can all affect the mother and baby during pregnancy.
Most organ development occurs within the first three months of pregnancy. The majority of women in low and middle-income countries present in the hospital very late during pregnancy. When little or nothing can be done to prevent any malformation that has already occurred, PCC will, therefore, prevent common complications like fetal malformations, preterm births, low birth weights, transmission of HIV from mother to child, and childhood cancers.
As part of our strategy to improve knowledge and increase uptake of preconception care, we involved the Ministry of Public Health. We partnered with other organizations and stakeholders to conduct an intensive preconception care workshop to train trainers in 11 civil society organizations with over 60 participants. Under the project called ACTION ON PRECONCEPTION CARE (AP-CARE), steps to a healthy family. We are one of the first organizations carrying out this project in the NW region of Cameroon. We partnered with the Local Initiative for Sustainable Development, Noble Arts Entertainment Company, PRENEXA Bamenda and, VOLTECH Academy to carry out this project. To ensure inclusion and diversity, we included organizations involving people with disability that the North West Association of Women with disabilities (NWAWWD), and other organizations working with people living with Epilepsy that is Epilepsy Aids, Awareness and Research Foundation. other organizations present were Plan International, Aspired Women Empowerment and development, Cameroon Women in Action Society Community Welfare, Fight for Health Foundation, Healthi First, Hope Alive Association Cameroon and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation (LUKMEF)-Cameroon.
We were honored with the presence of the Representative of the Regional Delegate of Public Health North West Region who also doubles as the Focal Point for Sexual and Reproductive Health of the NW- Dr. Ambe Lionel Neba, who expressed the importance of the training and how it will go a long way to promote the health of women, children, and adolescents in the region.
We were honored with the presence of a pediatrician, Dr Kan Kate, who gave an extensive and enriching presentation on the effect of smoking, alcohol, and some drugs on the baby and pediatric complications of some poorly managed health conditions. She stated that starting as early as six months before pregnancy occurs will give enough time for some harmful substances to be eliminated from the body.
The Representative of the Regional Delegate of Public Health NWR precised on the various strategies that could be used to increase the uptake of preconception care in the region. From here, he allowed other organizations to suggest strategies on how to market and improve sensitization on PCC, like including PCC counseling sessions during the signing of weddings in the court, including in churches and their handbooks, also including PCC when discussing in safe spaces in primary schools, community and organizations and many other suggestions.
Lastly, he announced the newly created Adolescent Wellness Center in the Regional Hospital Bamenda, where there will be well-trained health personnel to handle PCC, and spoke on their next project to create other adolescent wellness centers in the different health districts of the region.
He ended by saying that his expectations after this training were first to make the population very much aware of PCC, secondly, a reduction in teenage pregnancies and unplanned pregnancies, and lastly, a decrease in maternal and neonatal deaths.
Future Plans of Talk Pregnancy with Dr Noella
Our future plans are to carry out extensive sensitization campaigns, hold online webinars, carry out research and train more partners, to involve other regions like first the South West Region, the West Region, Far North, North and the rest. We are therefore looking for more partners, sponsors to make preconception care reach every part of Cameroon.
Thanks to all the volunteers of Talk Pregnancy with Dr Noella, all those who supported us we truly appreciate it. To our advisers Gwanyama Irene Fongwi Fomukong and Rev Fr Franklin Fomukong for their endless support to the organization. To the Director of Regional Hospital Bamenda, Dr Nsame Denis, and the General Supervisor, Mr Ngunjuah Franklen, for support and thanks to Open Dreams for all the support.