The Banso Baptist Hospital (BBH) of the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) has announced that it has formally enrolled more than 1,000 patients into its Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) clinics, despite operating in the heart of a violent conflict that has gripped the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon for more than eight years.
The announcement came during a CBCHS NCD programme supervision visit that concluded with a high-level “exit talk” between hospital administrators and programme supervisors. In that meeting, both sides agreed on fresh strategies to intensify outreach, improve data tracking, and deepen the integration of NCD services with mental health and women’s health programmes.
According to hospital data, BBH’s “Know Your Numbers” strategy and dedicated monthly clinics have already enrolled 1,092 hypertension patients and 767 diabetes patients since inception. Beyond these numbers, hundreds more have benefited from screenings, consultations, and health education at the hospital and through community outreach in Tatum and Jakiri all large communities in Bui Division.
The achievement comes against a stark backdrop. Kumbo, the administrative headquarters of Bui Division, is one of the epicentres of an armed conflict now entering its ninth year. Roadblocks, sporadic gun battles, and “ghost town” lockdowns have become part of daily life. Markets open late or close without warning. Public gatherings are rare, and most sports fields stand abandoned.
For public health officials, this means the fight against NCDs especially chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease is even harder.
“When you are hiding from bullets, sports and exercise become the last thing on your mind. But that is exactly when NCDs start to creep in quietly, and by the time symptoms show, it can be too late.” says a BBH health worker was recently abducted by an armed group and will not want to named
The World Health Organization warns that NCDs are now the leading cause of death globally, killing more people annually than infectious diseases. In conflict zones, the risks rise: stress hormones remain elevated, access to fresh food is limited, and opportunities for physical activity are curtailed.
BBH’s answer to these challenges has been mobility. On the third Friday of every two months, hospital teams set up in Tatum, and on the last Saturday of each month, they travel to Jakiri. There, they check blood pressure, test blood sugar levels, provide dietary advice, and dispense medication refills.
Crucially, these NCD clinics often combine with mental health and women’s health outreach, reflecting CBCHS’s holistic approach to care.
“You cannot treat hypertension without addressing the stress caused by the conflict and you cannot improve diet without considering the realities of food scarcity.” one outreach nurse who refused to be named for lack of permission from her hierarchy to speak to us explains
On 10 June 2025, CBCHS’s NCD supervision visit ended with new action points:
- Strengthening partnerships with community leaders to increase attendance at mobile clinics.
- Expanding data collection tools for better patient follow-up.
- Merging more outreach events with existing health programmes to optimise resources.
BBH’s parent organisation, the CBCHS, has long championed sports as a preventive tool for NCDs. In April 2023, then-Director of Health Services, Prof Tih Pius Muffih, inaugurated the “DHS keep fit tournament” under the theme “beat non-communicable diseases”.
With the motto “Sports for better health, performance, happiness, and camaraderie”, the tournament gathered CBCHS staff from across the country for football, athletics, and friendly competition.
“I decided to sponsor this tournament because sports is medicine. We cannot expect our communities to take prevention seriously if we do not model it ourselves. Even in the midst of challenges, we can promote habits that protect health.” Prof Tih explained to the press in Bamendzi where the final took place.
While such large-scale sporting events are currently impossible in conflict-hit Kumbo, the philosophy has filtered into local initiatives from small walking groups to improvised exercise routines patients can do at home.
If BBH and CBCHS provide the care and prevention, civil society is making sure the issue stays on political and global agendas.
At the forefront is Ferdinant M. Sonyuy, CEO of the Reconciliation and Development Association (RADA) and Chairperson of the Africa NCDs Network. For years, he has led initiatives including but not limited to media campaigns to increase public understanding of NCDs, especially in vulnerable communities.
In December 2023, Sonyuy was part of the technical teams that developed Cameroon’s National Multi-Stakeholder Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs (2024–2030). The plan prioritises:
- Health promotion and public awareness.
- Strengthening health systems to better manage NCDs.
- Implementing supportive policies, such as front-of-package food labelling.
In May 2025, Sonyuy took this message to the United Nations General Assembly during the Multi-Stakeholder Hearing on NCDs. Representing over 70 African civil society organisations, he called on member states to:
- Mobilise domestic financing for NCD prevention and care.
- Integrate NCDs into universal health coverage packages.
- Commit to meaningful community engagement in policy-making.Ferdinant Sonyuy, Chairperson African NDCs Network
“NCDs account for over 24% of deaths in Africa annually. Less than 2% of Cameroonians have health insurance. Leaders must act now not when they themselves are affected to prioritise prevention and ensure that care is accessible without financial ruin.” Ferdinant Sonyuy said in an online video
For many residents of Kumbo, surviving the day means navigating military checkpoints, avoiding active gun battles, and seizing any opportunity to move safely. For NCD patients, it also means making difficult decisions: whether to risk travelling for a clinic appointment or to delay medication refills until the roads are clear.
Yet the commitment of BBH, the creativity of CBCHS prevention strategies, and the persistence of advocates like Ferdinant Sonyuy show that progress is possible even here.
This combined effort with medical care on the ground, sports and prevention philosophy in the health system, and strong advocacy at national and international levels is building a network of resilience against the silent killers of NCDs.
When peace returns, the foundations laid in these difficult years could be the difference between a population merely surviving and one that thrives.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom
Some pictures by CBCHS services, RADA,CNA
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