World Health Organization is supporting Cameroon's response to the COVID-19 pandemic through Risk Communication and Community Engagement trainings

One of the pillars of the outbreak response is Risk Communication and Community Engagement which helps to mobilize populations to stop the transmission of the disease and get their feedback so response actions and messages can be tailored to the communities' needs. 

WHO has organized capacity reinforcement trainings of trainers in Risk Communication and Community Engagement at national level and in the Central, West and Littoral regions, so far the most affected by the pandemic.

Over 1000 participants have been briefed so far, including major national stakeholders such as: Health workers and nurses associations; civil society and youth organizations; transport unions; bloggers associations; media and journalists networks; Green line 1510 operators; government focal points for communication, public Information, media monitoring and social mobilization deployed at COUSP. 

In Yaoundé traditional chiefs and focal points of the municipalities have also been trained. In Douala religious leaders, market heads and hospital workers have attended trainings. In Bafoussam, trash service workers, community associations leaders and farmers organizations have been trained.

Those trainings include field practice, where participants use the knowledge acquired to raise awareness in public spaces such as markets, transport terminals, shopping areas and communities. This helps to mobilize local population to follow the main prevention measures on hand washing, respiratory hygiene, physical distance and correct use of masks to stop COVID-19. This sensitization has reached some thousands of people across the main affected regions.

Following the multiplying methodology of training, some of the participants have started to replicate them in their communities, with the technical assistance and monitoring of the Ministry of Health and WHO, contributing to consolidate the national response, as well as to the ownership of these actions by the communities and to the sustainability in the fight of the pandemic.