Mass screening for hepatitis B and C viruses in a population of persons with disabilities with and without HIV status in Cameroon.

Hepatitis viral infections are one of major threat to public health worldwide. The vast majority of people infected with viral hepatitis are found in resources limited countries of Africa and Asia. There is a lack of accurate data to better determine the burden of this disease in Cameroon, moreover among vulnerable people. The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of HBV and HCV viruses among persons with disabilities (PwD) with or without HIV status.

MosquirixTM malaria vaccine: an evaluation of patients' willingness to pay in Cameroon.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the average price that a patient living in Cameroon would be willing to pay for the MosquirixTM vaccine and the factors influencing the proposed price. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study Methods: Data were collected using a semi-open questionnaire in 5 hospitals in Cameroon. This study included all persons over 18 years who came for consultation in one of the 5 selected hospitals during the study period (from 02th to 14th April 2018 and from 02th to 22th July 2018). The factors associated with the price of the vaccine proposed by the patient were determined by linear multiple regression analysis. The average price was determined based on the patient's income and the percentage of that income proposed for the purchase of the vaccine. RESULTS: We collected data from 1,187 participants aged 18 to 80 years. The average price that Cameroonian patients were willing to pay for the MosquirixTM vaccine was 1,514±475 XAF (2.3±0.73 Euro). The minimum and maximum purchase price of the vaccine were 1,178 XAF (1.8 Euro) and 1,850 XAF (2.8 Euro) respectively. We also noted that patients were willing to spend an average of 1.34% of their income on the vaccine. This percentage of income was significantly (lt;0.001) associated with the respondents' income, the fact that they had been consulted at least once for malaria in the 12 months preceding the survey (lt;0.001) and the fact that the respondent had at least one under- five year child (lt;0.001). CONCLUSION: Factors associated with the average price are elements that should be strongly considered by policy makers to introduce this vaccine in Cameroon. This pilot study can serve as a framework for a potential national population-based study.

Mobile health clinic for the medical management of clinical sequelae experienced by survivors of the 2013-2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

An Ebola survivor Mobile Health Clinic (MHC) was established to implement lasting changes in communities it operates by providing effective and efficient mobile healthcare. After months of development, the MHC solution was operationalised in February 2015, aiming to provide integrated primary healthcare services to address the medical and psychosocial needs of Ebola virus (EBOV) survivors living in areas with low medical coverage. A total of 910 medical consultations for 246 EBOV survivors were performed between 7 February 2015 and 10 June 2016. Females constituted 148 (60.2%) whereas 6 (2.44%) were children under 5 years of age. The most common complication was arthralgia 185 (75.2%), headache 98 (39.8%), abdominal pain 167 (68%), myalgia 182 (73.6%), and skin disease 25 (10%). Moreover, ocular problems were diagnosed in 84 survivors (34.1%), and 60 (24.4%) suffered from psycho-trauma. Some 16 female survivors (10.8%) had miscarriages, whereas 9 (6.1%) had complaints of oligomenorrhea, 7 (4.7%) loss of sexual desire and 4 (2.7%) premature menopause. Five male survivors (5.1%) reported erectile dysfunction and 10 (10.2%) loss of sexual desire. At least 221 (89.8%) reported more than one complication. Other infectious diseases were common and no clinically relevant differences were established from haematology and clinical biochemistry laboratory results. Ibuprofen, paracetamol, anti-malaria drugs and antibiotics were the most common medicines prescribed. Community participation is critical for implantation of MHC among EBOV survivors. Future strategies for the mobile clinics should include enrolment of survivors at discharge from treatment centres with close monitoring follow-up activities, to address sequelae as they arise, to reduce the potential for development of long-term disabilities.

Accès à l'assainissement, eau et maladies diarrhéiques des enfants dans les ménages de Bamendjou, Cameroun

Introduction : Les maladies diarrhéiques sont une importante cause de morbidité et mortalité chez les nourrissons et les jeunes enfants dans les pays en voie de développement. Le district de santé de Bamendjou, à l'ouest Cameroun, n'en est pas épargné.Objectif : Principalement, il était question de mesurer l'association entre la qualité de l'eau de boisson, assainissement dans les ménages et les cas de diarrhées chez les enfants de moins de cinq ans.Matériel et méthode : Il s'agissait d'une étude cas-témoins. La population cible était les enfants de moins cinq ans résidant dans le district de santé de Bamendjou. Une approche adaptée de l'autopsie verbale en communauté était utilisée pour diagnostiquer les cas de diarrhées. Chaque cas était apparié à deux témoins. L'analyse des données s'est faite par régression et test de Khi2 à l'aide de l'outil Epi-info 7.1.4.0. Une valeur de P inférieure à 5% était considérée comme significative.Résultats : Sur 99 enfants (33 cas et 66 témoins), 38,71% des cas de maladies diarrhéiques, issus des ménages n'utilisant pas une source d'eau améliorée contre 30,8% des ménages utilisant une source d'eau améliorée (OR = 1.4535 ; IC = 0,582- 3,432). Sur les 33 cas diarrhéiques, 63,6% étaient issus des ménages n'utilisant pas de toilettes améliorées contre 36,3% issus ménages utilisant les toilettes améliorées (OR = 7,1346 ; CI = 2,805- 18,142).Conclusion : Les cas diarrhéiques sont attribuables à un accès limité à l'assainissement. Nous recommandons la mise en place d'un projet de promotion d'hygiène et assainissement dans le district de santé de Bamendjou