FEICOM, MINSANTE sign health partnership

By Amindeh Blaise Atabong in Yaounde

The Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance, better known by its French acronym as FEICOM, is poised than ever before to make stronger and even more efficient, health structures in council areas across the national territory. This determination was echoed last Thursday by the general manager of FEICOM, Philippe Camille Akoa during the signing ceremony of a partnership agreement with the ministry of public health, MINSANTE.

FEICOM GM(L) & Public Health Minister(R)

So far, FEICOM’s intention of strengthening the health sector has been materialised in the form of a partnership framework agreement with the ministry of public health which is in charge of strategies in the health sector.

The agreement which falls in line with the policy of decentralisation, marked by the devolution of powers and resources by the state to local councils, is aimed at ensuring good local governance in the area of health. Also, the agreement will guarantee that regional and local authorities have the necessary infrastructures needed for their emergence, by supporting and coordinating council health infrastructures through construction, equipment and maintenance projects. Equally, the FEICOM/MINSANTE partnership will strengthen consistency of FEICOM’s action with government’s strategies in the health domain.

Following the signing of the four year agreement by Andre Mama Fouda on behalf of MINSANTE and  Philipe Camille Akoa on behalf of FEICOM, councils will henceforth benefit from technical assistance in building, equipping and maintaining health infrastructures with respect to the health map. In addition, there shall be strategic focus on the funding of council projects and raising of awareness of regional and local authorities to local health issues.

Going by the agreement, FEICOM is obliged to provide regional and local authorities with its expertise in identifying and designing council and inter-council health projects likely to benefit form national and international cooperation funding. Moreover, FEICOM is expected to finance council and inter-council projects in terms of health, having direct impact on building, equipping, managing and maintaining health infrastructures in accordance with the procedures in place. As if not enough, the institution will stick to the orientations of the health sector strategy and all the strategy papers and programmes ensuing thereof, in accordance with its financial assistance code.

MINSANTE on its part will: provide all necessary information for the capacity building of regional and local authorities in the field of health; facilitate administrative formalities for the implementation of projects under the framework; involve FEICOM in the implementation of national strategies; support FEICOM in sourcing for technical and financial partners amongst other.

The partnership agreement which both parties have vowed to respect, it is expected will enhance the quality of life of dwellers in various municipalities at affordable cost.

It is worth noting that prior to this partnership agreement, FEICOM recently sponsored 28 health-related projects worth over 146 million FCFA. Between 2010 and 2013, FEICOM disbursed 20 553 000 FCFA to councils to address the health needs of their community.