“We struggled with hygiene and sanitation because water was scarce. The building was not lit at night, and electricity was not consistent. Also, the center had insufficient space for patient accommodation, inadequate maternity services, and a critical shortage of medical equipment across all departments. The hospital building itself was old, deteriorating, and had no fence.” Mrs. Mokwe Marie, Chief of Post, Buea Town Integrated Health Center.

This health center, located in the heart of Buea, the capital of the South-West Region, Cameroon, has long been a crucial provider of healthcare services for the over 15,000 residents of the town, many of whom are internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon. The facility was in a state of disrepair, struggling to meet the basic needs of its population amidst the increasing need in the town. 

To address these pressing issues, the UNDP Recovery programme, with funding from the Government of Japan, within the framework of the Presidential Plan for the Reconstruction and Development (PPRD) of the North-West and South-West Regions of Cameroon, rehabilitated and equipped the health center to a higher capacity, including a water point for portable water. We ensured a complete overhaul of the existing building, including structural repairs, painting, and tiling; the construction and equipment of a maternity section with laboratory service, a consultation room, a labor and delivery room, a maternity ward, a children’s ward, a minor surgery ward, and modern toilets,” explains Marinus Ebesoh, the project's engineer.