After a competitive process, Cameroon last July, 2015, was selected amongst 10 countries in the world to benefit from a Global Financial Facility (GFF) in support of every woman and every child initiative.

Supported by the World Bank and UN agencies, the new financial mechanism provides additional fund to developing countries to help them accelerate efforts in improving maternal and neonatal healthcare.

In a bid to understand the stakes of GFF and the key issues Cameroon can resolve within the fund, the Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda yesterday, October 26, 2015 in Yaounde, opened a two-day national consultation workshop in support of every woman, every child.

André Mama Fouda said with Cameroon gaining some FCFA 15 billion from GFF and also the possibility to ask for a loan of some FCFA 60 billion from the World Bank, it was necessary to bring partners together to know the constraints and the prerequisites of having the money in cash and understanding its use.

Noting that maternal and neonatal health is still a major problem in the country with 785 deaths per 100,000 births amongst women and a minute reduction in neonatal deaths, the Minister of Public Health said the money will help address the Head of State’s new programme to curb the issue.

The Country Director of World Bank Group, Elisabeth Huybens said the mechanism helps countries that need to make progress on health issues and which have some leadership in doing so.

“Cameroon is making a lot of progress in maternal and neonatal healthcare and because of this; it has been selected amongst ten countries in the world to be supported by the Global Financing Facility. The process will start through the GFF trust fund support and later we will be expecting many other partners to come and join the group of supporters in a bid to improve mother and child health services in the country,” Elisabteh Huybens noted.

Through the project, the Ministry of Public Health with World Bank support will finance health centres against the results they have achieved in terms of services they offer. Elisabeth Huybens said it will be a result-based financing facility in which excellence is rewarded by further financing and this gives room for more results.