© CBM/Hayduk

CBM supports neonatal hearing screening in Cameroon.

With over 1,800 babies screened and hospitals equipped with life-changing technology, this CBM funded programme in Cameroon is ensuring early detection and intervention for hearing impairments.

Repha is the clinical officer and audiologist at the CBC Hospital, a CBM partner hospital in Cameroon. Here, Repha is examining a patient's ear. © CBM
The CBC Health Services ETN department conducted an outreach screening.

In Cameroon’s Northwest Region, newborns now have a greater chance of early hearing detection, thanks to the Neonatal Ear Screening Initiative, launched in 2020 by CBC Health Services with funding from CBM. What began as a pilot programme in four health facilities has since expanded, reaching more hospitals under the Ear and Hearing Care Project in 2021 and 2022. The results? A shift in early diagnosis and intervention for hearing impairments in newborns.

Since its inception, over 1,800 neonates have been screened using state-of-the-art Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) machines. Primary healthcare providers and ENT nurses have received specialised training, ensuring the programme’s long-term sustainability. Among the standout facilities is Nkwen District Hospital.

A hospital transformed.

Nkwen District Hospital, once a small nutrition centre in the 1970s located in the Bamenda III municipality, has evolved into the largest district hospital in the Northwest Region, serving an entire district and overseeing at least 20 deliveries per week. Prior to August 2024, neonatal hearing screening was non-existent in the hospital due to limited awareness, equipment, and trained personnel. That changed with CBM’s support through the Comprehensive Programme for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities to Inclusive Access to Health and Education.

CBM supplied Nkwen District Hospital with essential medical equipment, including a neonatal screening machine and a screening booth. Additionally, two staff members, Chia Claudia and Fru Doris, received specialised training, empowering them to conduct screenings and educate parents on the importance of early hearing detection.

Real impact on families

Our services in Nkwen are now very special and unique because this initiative is new to parents, who appreciate our upgraded healthcare.

Fru Doris

Since the launch of neonatal screenings, Nkwen District Hospital has screened approximately 600 newborns. Awareness campaigns integrated into antenatal and infant health clinics have encouraged more parents—even those from other facilities—to seek screening services for their babies.

Chia Claudia, who works at the Infant Welfare Clinic, describes the initiative as a game-changer. Previously, she lacked the means to identify hearing issues early. Now, she can detect them and guide parents towards timely interventions that can change a child’s future.

Fru Doris shares a similar sentiment, expressing pride in the hospital’s enhanced healthcare services. “Our services in Nkwen are now very special and unique because this initiative is new to parents, who appreciate our upgraded healthcare.”

Parents as advocates for change.

For 27-year-old mother Nformi Juliet, the screening brought peace of mind. She says, “Knowing my baby’s hearing is fine is a relief.” Inspired by its impact, Juliet has become an advocate in her community, referring six newborns for screening. “I believe in early detection; that is why I am an ambassador for this neonatal screening.”

A future of inclusive healthcare.

CBM’s investment in neonatal hearing screening has not only introduced a critical health service but has also built capacity within hospitals to sustain and expand it. Nkwen District Hospital and other benefiting facilities now offer life-changing early detection services that were previously unavailable. The hope is that this initiative, like a mustard seed, will continue to grow—reaching more health facilities, more families, and ultimately transforming more lives.

Thanks to CBM’s support, the path to inclusive and accessible healthcare for all, including newborns with hearing impairments, is clearer than ever.

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