As members of Doctors Without Borders, we are shocked and deeply saddened by the news of the killing of a community health worker who was supported by our organization in South-West Cameroon. We offer our deepest condolences to his family and community.
We were notified of his killing through an official statement by separatists.
As an independent humanitarian organization that provides medical care to those most in need, regardless of their religious, political and cultural background, we condemn the killing of someone who was providing health care to his community, with the support and under the supervision of Doctors Without Borders. His death is an example of the ongoing violence in the North-West and South-West region, where attacks on healthcare workers and hospitals are a regular occurrence.
We urge all parties to ensure the safety of healthcare workers, hospitals, ambulances and patients.
Doctors Without Borders has been present in Cameroon for more than 30 years, and in the South-West and North-West regions since 2018. Our main objective is to reach communities who have difficulty accessing health care and who are most in need.
One of our strategies is to train and support members of the community to diagnose and treat simple diseases. Community health workers are vital for ensuring that vulnerable communities have access to medical care, and their protection needs to be guaranteed.