Cameroon: Cholera outbreak kills two in South West region

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:13 pm

A recent cholera outbreak in the locality of Idabato, in the Bakassi Health Disitrict of the South West region of Cameroon is said to have claimed the lives to two persons and infected many others.
According to health officials from the region, the outbreak results from very poor hygienic conditions observed in that part of the country.
“The hygienic condition here is very poor, they lack toilets, portable water as well as well-equipped hospitals…People here defecate everywhere…this makes the place not comfortable to live in” one of the health officials said.
Added to that, health officials in the region decry the fact that most of the population living in that part of Cameroon do not come to the hospital.
“We have been carrying out sensitisation campaigns on the necessity of using Government services, one of which is the hospital. They don’t come to the hospital and this is a big cry, the doctor is here permanently but the patients are not…” Ebongo Nandji, South West regional Delegate at the Ministry of Public Health disclosed.
In a communique dated Wednesday November 20, 2019, the Minister of Public Health, Dr Malachie Manaouda hints that measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease into other parts of the Bakassi Peninsular and why not eradicate it completely.
Meantime, the population of the area has been urged to report any case of a victim presenting symptoms of cholera for immediate measures to be taken.