Nicolas Barre Health Centre, Yaounde, Cameroon

This project has recently been sponsored by The Father O'Mahony Memorial Trust

The Country

The Cameroon

Conditions for Cameroon’s children have deteriorated in recent years. Infant and under five mortality rates in 2005 were actually higher than their 1990 levels. Maternal mortality is alarmingly high. Dental care in the Cameroon is prohibitively expensive for most of the population. Many people therefore turn to alternative treatments which often complicate their oral health problems rather than cure them.

 The Project

The Nicolas Barré Health Centre is an initiative of the "congrégation des soeurs de l’enfant Jesus" and received funding from the Irish Government. It’s creation came about as a result of a study of the needs of the population which showed that there is currently no provision for affordable health care in the Ekounou area of Yaounde, the capital city of the Cameroon.

The aim of those who have set up the centre is to create a dental unit which offers affordable treatment for the population. They seek toprevent, treat and educate people on oral health and oral diseases and to encourage them to come to a specialist dental unit rather than trying to taking matters into their own hands. It treats many pregnant women who previously had to travel very far for follow up treatment.