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Catégorie : Santé

  • CRID : The Centre Advancing Health Care in Africa via Quality research gets inaugurated

    The Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), a Cameroonian-based research institution committed to advancing research in infectious diseases has been inaugurated.

    Dr. Etoundi Mballa Georges, personal representative of the Minister of Public Health inaugurated the centre on 8th May, 2024 in Yaounde.

    Dr. Etoundi Mballa Georges, personal representative of the Minister of Public Health inaugurated CRID on 8th May, 2024

    Over 150 guests comprising health experts, researchers, interns from the Universities of Yaoundé 1, Buea and Bamenda, traditional rulers, and other guests attended the event which held at the head office of the institution in Odza, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

    “ The fight against infectious diseases is a key priority for the Ministry of Public Health. For us to have innovative and adapted strategies to fight these diseases, we need proper research. This is why we must salute this initiative which permits us to have a state-of-the-art  laboratory which will permit us to have a solution to all our problems,” Dr. Etoundi Mballa Georges said.

    Bringing down the Malaria Burden 

    According to the Ministry of Public Health, close to 3million Malaria cases were reported in Cameroon in 2023, representing 28% of consultations. The country also reported over 1.2 Malaria-related admissions and 1,756 deaths from Malaria.

    Malaria control is one of the areas where CRID is making  strides in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, the National Malaria Control Programme and other national and international health partners, among them, Impact Santé Afrique.

    “We are working with the Ministry of Public Health and other stakeholders to bring the malaria burden down. We are doing it at two levels; by helping Cameroon implement the best control strategies against malaria vectors. We find out mosquito genetic behavior, and how they manage to avoid being killed by bed nets and we tell the Ministry of Health the best bed nets that will contain these mosquitoes, and reduce the malaria burden,” Prof. Charles Wondji, Executive Director of CRID said. 

    CRID is also crafting innovative malaria control methods, and strengthening local capacities for surveillance and elimination of the disease.

    “We are working on innovative methods to accelerate control. One  of such methods  is  special repellants. We just got a funding to research on the use of the repellants  that will drive mosquitoes from houses and prevent them from biting humans. This will drastically reduce malaria transmission in the coming years,” the Executive Director said.

    Apart from malaria control, CRID has been  carrying out research on sleeping sickness, yellow fever and emerging vector-borne diseases such as zika and dengue since its creation 6 years ago. 

    Following the inauguration of CRID’s headquarters, Hon Marie Ngoko Mambe Tchouante, member of the Parliamentary Caucus for health financing in Cameroon expressed the desire to see the structure expand its research activities to vaccine control. 

    “We are hoping the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) will be supported and accompanied so that they can control the quality of vaccines that enter our country,” Hon Marie Ngoko Mambe Tchouante said. 

    The Centre for Infectious Diseases 

    CRID was created in 2018 with a vision to improve the living conditions of populations through quality research. It has also been strengthening the capacities and skills of researchers in tropical infectious diseases.

    The structure has a manpower of 130 people working in 3 main units: Administration and Finance, Medical Entomology, Parasitology and Microbiology. 

    CRID is equipped with a state-of-the-art molecular biology laboratory, insectariums, 3 experimental stations for evaluating the effectiveness of vector control tools in semi-natural conditions, as well as a research team consisting of principal investigators, post-doctoral researchers, laboratory technicians, PHD students and Masters students.

    In its drive to advance health care in Africa, CRID has expanded its research activities beyond Cameroon’s borders. In 6 years of existence, the centre has carried out research in 10 other African countries;  Nigeria, Uganda, Mozambique, Malawi, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Benin, and Ghana. The institution’s major research activities include the evaluation of insecticide resistance, the evaluation of the genetic bases of resistance, the effectiveness of vector control tools, and the development of molecular markers to detect and track resistance

    Kathy Neba Sina

  • Neurology : Epilepsy treatment among priorities of first congress

     

    The  first Scientific Congress of the Cameroon Academy of Neurosurgeons opened in Yaounde on 2nd May on the theme “Functional and congenital pathologies”. 

    Organizers of the congress say the maiden edition is dedicated to fine-tuning and promo medical advancements in epilepsy treatment. Congenital malformations of the nervous system in children and vascular neurosurgery were also discussed at the two-day congress. 

    “Epilepsy is a very common disease in Africa, but the question we are asking ourselves is why surgery, the most effective treatment of the disease, is not widely used in Africa. This is one of the issues we will discuss during the Congress” Pr Vincent de Paul DJIENTCHEU, President of the Cameroonian Academy of Neurosurgeons said . 

    The prevalence of Epilepsy in Cameroon varies between 0.5 to 13.5% per thousand people according to the Cameroonian Academy of Neurosurgeons. In Africa, the doctor patient ratio is 1 neurosurgeon per 2.5million people.  

    Improving this frail ratio is one of the most important issues the neurosurgeons from Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger and Mali taking part in the Congress are working on. 

    The maiden Congress of the Cameroonian Academy of Neurosurgeons was officially opened by the Inspector General of Administrative Services at the Ministry of Public Health, Mr. Boukar Oumaté, Representative of the Minister of Public Health.

    “The organization of this conference is of necessity as the Academy of Neurosurgeons has become a partner of the government to improve the quality of health care in the country,” the Inspector General said during the opening ceremony. 

    In search of Neurosurgeons

    The number of neurosurgeons in Cameroon has considerably increased, and also enriched with the return of colleagues from other African and European schools of Neurosurgery. 

    However, Neurosurgery is reportedly one of the health specialties seriously lacking in human resources. 

    To improve the Neurosurgeon versus patient ration, the Congress has launched a competition to select five best presentations on neurosurgery during the two day event. 

    “We want to use the competition to attract young people to become neurosurgeons. We will have a Congress in Kinshasa in November. We have organized a competition during this congress to select five youths with the best presentations who will travel to  Kinshasa to participate in the Congress in November,” Prof. Aderehime Haidara, Neurosurgeon from Côte d’Ivoire said. 

    Epilepsy patients in Cameroon can be treated at the cost of between 30,000-40,000 monthly. Patients who become drug resistant can be treated by surgical procedures which experts estimate could cost a little below 1million FCFA. The neurosurgeons are using the congress to raise awareness about the use of surgical procedures to offer life-long treatment for the medical condition. 


    Kathy Neba Sina

  • Disability Inclusion: Persons with intellectual disabilities acquire knowledge on political participation

    Junior Lango, a person with intellectual disability has just been equipped with knowledge on his rights to participate in decision-making as an active citizen of Cameroon.

    He is among 30 persons with intellectual disabilities and representatives of support groups who took part in a three-day training on the political participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Yaoundé.

    The training was jointly organized by Sight Savers International and Inclusion International from April 15-17, 2024.

    “I have learnt a lot about my personality. Thanks to this training, I have learnt about my rights as a citizen and my rights as a person with disabilities. One of my rights is to be loved and feel accepted in the society.”

    Participants of the workshop including self advocates, associations of persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Social Affairs and some rights groups discussed practical solutions to the inclusion of this special group of people in the political life of the country.

    The right to participate in political activities and public life is a fundamental human rights law. However,  persons with intellectual disabilities are usually left behind.

    The three-day workshop was held within the framework of citizenship and political involvement of persons with intellectual disabilities.

    “These are issues that concern everyone living in a country.This training brings a solution because people with intellectual disabilities are usually left out of important political decisions. Human rights requires we leave no one aside,” Marguerite Belobo Belili, Executive Director of Sightsavers Cameroon said.

    During the training,  persons with intellectual disabilities were schooled on the importance of being knowledgeable in political issues. They were also told that knowing their right to participate in politics and public life is well-established in human rights law for everyone.

    “We have explained what is a good advocate. Persons with disabilities need a good human companion . We have explained the role this person plays. They help the person with intellectual disability take decisions and not take decisions for them. The bad advocate takes decisions for the person with intellectual disability.”Claudine Lawson Daizo, Executive Director of CHRYSALIDE said.

    To facilitate the political involvement of persons with intellectual disabilities, they are required  to  each have electoral cards, and be able to vote. Ensuring inclusive participation of their families, community and country is also of great importance.

    Organizers called on rights groups, the Ministry of Social Affairs and other stakeholders to ensure the  political rights of persons with intellectual disabilities are respected.

    “This workshop has made us aware that when persons with disabilities understand what is happening around them, they can take meaningful decisions even though we acknowledge it’s usually not easy. They make much efforts to express themselves  so that their rights can be respected,” Onana Bidi Thaddée, PWDs and PHD student of the University of Yaoundé 1 said.

    Lack of a skilled facilitator, low efficiency, disinterest in political issues, and language barrier are some of the challenges to political participation of persons with intellectual disabilities. That not withstanding, stakeholders say  the government has all it takes to ensure that persons with disabilities are able to fully participate in all decision-making processes.