Visionary Reports

 Medical personnel in the region have been called upon to always be on the alert

The population of the Littoral region and Douala in particular have been called upon to respect basic hygiene rules in a bit to keep cholera at bay. The called was made during a cholera evaluation meeting on Friday October 16 at the littoral governor’s office. During the meeting, the Inspector General of the littoral governor’s office Abubaka Njinkam called on the Douala city mayor and municipal mayors to clear the streets of dirt and increase sensitization.  He cautioned that the municipal dumping sites should be taken away from human habitat. He also used the opportunity to advise the population to keep their environment clean.

Owing that Douala is an endemic cholera zone, the   Regional Coordinator for prevention and fight against epidemics Dr. Mossi Makembe Hans explained that cholera cases can be spotted in one zone or the other.  While presenting the cholera situation in the region, Dr. Mossi Makembe Hans disclosed that since the beginning of the year, the region has registered 952 cases of cholera with a total number of 49 deaths. He said out of the 49 deaths, 39 died in the hospital while 10 died in the community.

 He said at the moment there is no cholera case registered in any hospital but he opines that this does not cancel the fact that there can be a case or cases within the community. Dr. Mossi Makembe Hans announced that they have intensify, sensitization and mobilization on the dangerous nature of the disease. “We are calling on the population to report any suspected cases of cholera in any health facility”. He regretted that a fight against cholera campaign that was organized on the 7^th of August   witnessed a 40% coverage rate which was far from the expectation. Against this backdrop, he said more campaigns will be organized in the days ahead in  four health district that have so far registered high number of cases of cholera cases. They include the district centre of Bonassama, Newbell, Nylong and Japoma. He added that the number of cholera cases was not as high as previous years.

 Also present during the meeting was the Secretary of State to the Ministry of Public Health Alim Hayatou who enunciated that the fight against cholera is not the fight of the medical personnel only but a fight for all.

 By GINA ESONG

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“There is no cholera case in our hospitals at the moment”

• Dr. Mossi Makembe Hans, Regional Coordinator  for  prevention and fight against  epidemics 

“Douala is an endemic cholera zone meaning that all year round there can be cholera cases in one zone or the other. At the moment there is no registered case of cholera in our hospitals but this doesn’t cancel the fact that there is no case within the community. Since the beginning of the year the region has so far registered 952 cases of cholera with 49 deaths. Out of the 49 deaths, 39 died in the hospital while 10 died in the community.”

Collected by GINA ESONG