Promoting Access to Healthcare for People with Disabilities: A presentation of the Inclusive Health Care Strategy of CBC Health Services in Cameroon

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have provided clear guidelines to ensure equal access to healthcare for people with disabilities (PWDs). Despite these global frameworks, PWDs, particularly in developing countries, continue to face significant barriers to essential healthcare services. This paper presents the Inclusive Health Care Strategy developed by the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Health Services in 2021 as a response to the disparities in healthcare access for PWDs. This strategy emphasizes a holistic approach to healthcare, focusing on both the supply and demand sides of service delivery. Key actions taken include facility capacity assessments, capacity building workshops for healthcare workers, infrastructural remodeling, acquisition of accessible medical equipment, and production of accessible health promotion materials. This paper discusses the successes and challenges of implementing this strategy and highlights its potential to be scaled to other regions in Cameroon and beyond. The CBC Health Services Inclusive Health Care Strategy demonstrates that institutional and structural changes in healthcare can significantly improve access to care for PWDs, serving as a model for other countries aiming to address similar disparities.