“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)
Using funds that were originally set aside for an Israeli Independence Day reception, the Israeli Embassy in Cameroon established a five-day vaccination program from June 8 to 12 that treated over 10,000 refugee children from the Central African Republic (CAR).
During the clinic, 5,000 were vaccinated against polio and 5,000 others against measles.
The Embassy worked together with the Cameroon Pediatric Association to set up a health clinic in the Gado Refugee Camp, located near Garoua Boulai in eastern Cameroon.
The camp holds 19,000 people fleeing the violence in the neighboring CAR, most of them Muslims.
Of the 19,000, 12,000 are children under 15, many of whom suffer from malnutrition that leaves them vulnerable to disease.
Refugees in Africa, such as this mother who lost the use of her legs due to polio, depend on the goodwill and charity of others.
Local doctor, Tchakoute Collins said that malnutrition is a major problem both for children and adults. (JP)
“Even the parents are malnourished, including breastfeeding mothers. It is a situation that demands the shedding of tears,” Collins said. (All Africa)
Doctors also provided both free medication and consultations, mostly to Arab youth under the age of 15. The team of doctors included four pediatricians.
Dr. Ehouzou Marcelle Nina, another doctor that participated in the program, emphasized the dire need for the project saying 5,000 refugees are arriving every day.
“As a result of the conflict in CAR, vaccination campaigns have not been carried out regularly; thus the refugees are exposed to these health hazards. There is therefore a high risk of contaminating people in host communities,” Dr Ehouzou warned. (All Africa)
“The Israeli program was well received by the local Cameroon health system as well as by the international aid agencies with which we worked. The project had an educational and perceptual value as well as it showed the people [local doctors and other service professionals] that they can help themselves, and need not rely solely on international aid,” Israel’s ambassador to Cameroon, Nadav Cohen said. (MFA)
Cohen said he is exploring the possibility of raising funds for similar projects to assist the refugees and also expressed hope that other diplomatic missions and local pediatricians would take a cue from this to volunteer other services.
