Fig 1: A group picture with Salvation Baptist Church men/ women group and MA Heart Team, Yaounde -Cameroon
On Saturday, May 31, 2025, The Mercy Azoh-Mbi Heart Foundation conducted its monthly sensitization and screening campaign at the Salvation Baptist Church in Obili, Yaoundé. This event commemorated World Hypertension Day, with the theme “Measure your blood pressure accurately, Control it and Live Longer”.
The campaign aimed to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases, particularly hypertension and its complications, among the church’s men and women. It also sought to provide free screenings for hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, and diabetic/hypertensive nephropathy , establish a link with the church for future collaboration , increase the foundation’s public visibility , and recruit volunteers.
Out of 33 total participants, 25 members of the congregation were screened. The event was supported by 7 volunteers, including 3 medical doctors and 4 medical students from the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Yaoundé. They served as trainers, facilitators, and assisted with screening and general consultations.
Fig 2: Presentation by the Country Manager
Activities ran from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and included a welcome address by the Country Manager, Dr. Sese, who presented the foundation’s vision and mission. Screenings were conducted in four stages: registration, vital sign monitoring, blood sugar measurement, and urinalysis, all coordinated by volunteer medical students. Participants then received consultations and counseling based on their results, with prescriptions and referrals provided when necessary. The day also included a question and answer session and CPR training.
Key accomplishments included screening all present participants and providing counseling , detecting new cases of hypertension in individuals unaware of their condition , and referring those with hypertension and diabetes to specialized treatment centers. A working relationship was established with the church administration for future collaboration.
Of the 25 participants screened, 17 were female and 8 were male. Eleven participants had elevated blood pressure, with one case of Grade 1 hypertension and three cases of Grade 2 hypertension. One participant had elevated blood sugar. The age range of participants was 26-53 years.
A challenge faced was a lower-than-expected turnout, which the report suggests could be mitigated in future by allowing participants to unanimously agree on activity dates rather than having church leaders assign them. Despite this, the campaign was considered a success, meeting its objectives and fostering gratitude from participants and the church administration for the free screenings.
