Presents final contractor report (6/77-6/82) on a project to establish a rural, self-help process for practical training in health education (PTHE) in Cameroon. The project, executed in the districts of Mefore and Kadney, was impressive in achieving its objectives. At the village level, 136 (of 240 targeted) village health committees were established and worked to improve springs, construct pit latrines, establish family pharmacies and village food markets, and provide nutrition education. A total of 21 (of 40 targeted) health center workers were trained as itinerant agents and worked with 35 trained (vs. 30 targeted) PCV’s to facilitate Ministry of Health (MOH)-project relations and as community organizers in 160 villages, covering a population of 50,000. In 80 villages, committee days were held to demonstrate progress and conduct health education. These and planned inter- and intra-village contests to evaluate health-related improvements were curtailed due to poor MOH management. The 18 project area health centers held regular staff development sessions, patient and group preventive health education, and prenatal clinics, and made sanitation available through community outreach. pre-service training in community organization was provided to 7 nursing faculty and 264 students of medium-level health training institutions. Teachers from 10 (vs. 8 targeted) pilot primary schools received inservice health education training; a teachers’ guide to health education was developed and tested. Inservice training benefited 240 MOH personnel and 92 workers from other health services (82% of health personnel in the project areas); a trainers guide for inservice training in community health was produced. Several seminars were conducted for MOH division and province-level staff and others. An audiovisual aids center was set up but never became functional. Impediments to project success were due largely to MOH emphasis on outputs per se rather than on establishing a process of self-help in health improvement. Lack of high-level MOH support, logistical problems, and difficulties stemming from personnel turnovers also hindered progress. Nonetheless, the PTHE has been adopted by the MOH as a model for the National Program of Primary Health Care scheduled for start-up in 1982/3.
