The Orange Foundation, major health partner in Cameroon 
More than 900 million CFA F invested in healthcare support
Orange Cameroun, leading telecommunications operator, has been supporting healthcare services in Cameroon for over a decade. This initiative is in response to the multiple challenges faced by the State, individuals, and communities, and today we are working to transform the healthcare sector through digital technology.
At Orange Cameroun, the health policy targets three main areas: maternal and child health, disability health, and innovation through the introduction of digital technology.
Equipment of 21 maternity wards in health centres and district hospitals
According to data from the Ministry of Public Health, Cameroon records 406 deaths over 100,000 live births (2018).
In terms of maternal and child health, the multifaceted aid of the Orange Foundation has made it possible to upgrade health care in maternity wards across the country, especially in rural areas. For this purpose, technical facilities in 16 maternity wards have been reinforced with adequate equipment; 02 maternity wards of district hospitals have been completely renovated; and 03 maternity wards in rural areas have been powered with solar energy. Also, special health campaigns (detection and care) have been carried out on obstetric fistula, with a total of 120 women who benefited, and delivery kits offered to women in precarious situations.
Fully renovated and/or equipped hospitals
Through the Foundation, Orange Cameroun is building, rehabilitating and equipping hospitals, especially state hospitals, which are designed to accommodate more people and offer affordable access to healthcare.
Under the ‘Orange Village’ project, 08 health centres in rural areas have been fully renovated and equipped, and boreholes have been provided to solve the problem of unavailability of a potable water source, which is a recurrent problem in the rural areas.
The Buea and Limbe public hospitals have recently received major donations of medical equipment and materials to improve their health services in vulnerable areas. The Bameka IHC and the Kiki Medical Centre are already on the list of future beneficiaries.
A fully built and equipped hospital in LATSI GOUACHE will be inaugurated on 12 May, providing better care for the population living in this recently disaster-stricken area.
About 180 million CFA F invested to support people living with a disability
Communication-related disabilities can lead to exclusion and stigmatisation. This is the case for people living with autism, blindness and deafness.
Orange Cameroon’s action in these special cases consists in assisting these people towards successful social integration: by giving them the opportunity to communicate with people around them, education and training, professional integration, and more.
Access to education for people with disabilities
A digital programme for the visually impaired has been developed and involves creating and equipping specialised multimedia rooms for the visually impaired: furniture, computers with specialised software (voice synthesis).
Still about education for the visually impaired, the BrailleRap project, supported by the Orange Foundation, enables Braille embossers to be set up, giving blind and visually impaired people access to books and textbooks needed for their school and vocational training.
Raising awareness and training for better care
Orange Cameroon is raising awareness among the public, training parents, educators and other care staff, and providing support to stakeholders by giving them appropriate care methods and equipment.
Parents and support staff of people with autism have benefited from free online training on the PUFADSA platform by the University of Clermont Auvergne, and numerous training seminars on the most recent care methods and techniques.
A chance for professional insertion
Training and initiation workshops for people with communication disabilities are being renovated or completely built and equipped. By this, Orange Cameroon through its Foundation aims at giving them a chance for socio-professional reintegration.
The Orange Foundation recently financed the ESAT workshops equipment which enable autistic people to be trained in suitable professions in view of their professional integration.
The BUEA SCHOOL OF THE DEAF, specialised in the care for the hearing impaired, has already benefited from the construction and equipment of carpentry, hairdressing and sewing workshops.
Ophthalmological units are being completely rehabilitated through donations of state-of-the-art materials and equipment. These include hospitals like the Kumba district hospital and the Saint-Luc hospital in Mbalmayo.
In total, sponsorship initiatives supported by the Orange Foundation are estimated to over 900 million CFA F to date.
