Communities In Cameroon Research Articles

Power and resistance in Cameroon – strategies, intentionality, intersectionality, and shifting spaces and identities

This paper examines how forest communities in Cameroon engage in social transformation when faced with social injustices and uneven power relations in their interactions with local state authorities and transnational corporations. It focuses on the different strategies that marginalized resource-dependent communities employ in resisting existing forms of domination manifested in public–private-community forest governance relations. We show how power operates in closed governance spaces to work against equitable, democratic and effective policy-making. We take as a point of departure that resistance or social change cannot be understood in isolation from power. Moreover, we engage with the intentionality debate and make the case that some forms of resistance are goal oriented in character. We reveal how disenfranchised communities, using powerful traditional ritual as a form of public protest, can effectively open up closed spaces and obtain effective participation in processes denied them. Our findings have significance for resistance and power debates relating to intentionality, intersectionality and outcomes.

Baka ritual flow diverted

Ethnographers of Congo Basin hunter-gatherers have emphasised ritual as a levelling mechanism that strengthens community spirit and mediates power evenly between individuals and subgroups. Pursuant to recent research with a Baka community in Cameroon, now largely abandoning the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, I analyse the mutual causal interactions between ritual alterations and other markers of social change. I argue that there is a positive feedback loop between ritual change and general social transformation towards a less egalitarian mode of sociality. Increasingly pressed into convening with globalising forces and integrating into the capitalist economy, the rhetoric of development has been adopted by the Baka. This community talk of a history of isolation, as a public road was extended to the district as late as 2007 by a mining corporation. The result of the new road and burgeoning mining activities is that the community has been exposed precipitously to new peoples, lifestyles and technologies. ritual...

Narratives of Life and Violence along the Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline

This article further develops a critical geographical theory of structural violence. It does so by considering the ways people in Nanga-Eboko and Kribi, two communities in Cameroon, report feeling and experiencing structural violence along the Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline. For people living within spaces (re)produced through structurally violent processes, projects, and extractions, a triad of intersecting experiences emerge: structural violence is felt as (i) tangible through the body (senses of loss, the belly, the body, and nourishment), or described through gendered narratives of hunger, illness, and the experiences of land dispossession; (ii) historically compounded, or characterized by a rootedness in the colonial and racist structures of the past alongside expectations that present-day structural violence threatens future generations; and (iii) spatially compounded, or experienced through a concurrent spatial overlapping (or compounding) as multiple forms of structural violence converge within the same landscapes and lifescapes, effecting displacement in-place. Each of these, felt simultaneously, has the effect of rendering structural violence acutely visible, tangible as it is in the restructurings of landscapes and lifescapes, despite discursive attempts to cloak, bury, and efface by powerful actors. Looking toward the narratives that people use to critique and engage with such violence provides conceptual tools for wider resistance practices against structural violence.

Rural local institutions and climate change adaptation in forest communities in Cameroon

Surveys and interviews were used to understand community resilience in forest-dependent communities facing climate change in Cameroon. Surveys of 232 individuals showed a diversity of formal and informal institutions that relate to most aspects of rural life. Although direct activities related to climate change adaptation were limited, the activities and density of membership in rural local institutions could increase the community's adaptive capacity. Twenty-six semistructured interviews were also conducted with representatives of diverse local institutions who had some responsibility for agriculture, forests, conservation, or development. Local governmental institutions had not received any information from the national level and were limited in their knowledge of how to help communities respond to climate change. Although limited in their direct action on climate change, local nongovernmental organizations and international institutions act as bridging institutions with rural communities and could facilitate sharing of knowledge and innovation, thereby fostering resilience. Planning for climate change adaptation in Cameroon needs to build the capacity of diverse local institutions and improve the relationships between local and national-level adaptation planning.

The health competence measurement tool (HCMT): Developing a new scale to measure self-rated “health competence”

ObjectivesTo develop and test a tool for measuring health competence. MethodsIn order to measure this attribute, we used a sequential exploratory mixed methods design in rural and urban communities in Cameroon. In the qualitative phase, 67 clients constituted 10 focus groups to elicit themes related to health competence. In the quantitative phase, self-rated items were tested on 300 participants and on a random selection of 25 participants 2 weeks later. ResultsThe internal consistency for the subscales derived varied from 0.61-0.81. Older (F[45, 339.1]=1.2; p=0.031) and more educated (F[3, 22.6]=2.1; p=0.004) people were more likely to score higher on the scale. Interviewers also contributed to the variance (F[5, 37.6]=3.6; p<0.001). Test–retest reliability was 0.66. The final scale with 15 items is made up of three subscales: knowledge of disease, how to stay in good health and health information. ConclusionWe present a new self-rated scale for health competence with good psychometric properties. It circumvents the need to be literate, but requires well trained interviewers. We recommend that it be tested in other settings. Practice implicationsThis tool should be used to appraise individual and community health education needs with minor context specific modifications.

Erratum to: Agroforestry preferences in refugee hosting communities in Cameroon

Erratum to: Agroforestry preferences in refugee hosting communities in Cameroon

Agroforestry preferences in refugee hosting communities in Cameroon

Pressure on natural resources and local infrastructure often increase in areas of refugee settlement, and food and health security can decline as a result. Agroforestry is the use of trees and crops and/or livestock in the same farming system to achieve production and conservation objectives. These polycultures can help improve food security in refugee settlement areas by rendering diverse products while increasing conservation in the face of augmented population pressure. In the past 10 years, 90,000 Central African Republic refugees have crossed into Cameroon and settled in hundreds of villages. This study focused on agroforestry preferences among refugees and host-nationals in six villages in the Adamaoua Region of Cameroon. One-hundred and twenty-two community members participated in the study. Visual methods were used to quantify preferences for eight agroforestry practices and tested for statistically significant differences across gender, ethnicity, and status as refugee or Cameroonian. There were differences in practice preferences as well as preferences for implementation in a group or as a family. Most differences were between refugees and Cameroonians. Refugees were more likely to prefer practices that help meet basic needs and also more likely to prefer group implementation. Open-ended comments also were analyzed to contextualize quantitative results. Overall, results suggest that agroforestry preferences in refugee settings may relate to a greater degree on social class and experience rather than gender or ethnicity. Results also indicate common ground in that refugees and host nationals are likely to share many preferences.

Molecular analysis of enterovirus in Cameroon by partial 5′UTR-VP4 gene sequencing reveals a high genetic diversity and frequency of infections

Enteroviruses (EVs) often infect humans, presenting as endemic or epidemic infections. In this study, the diversity of infecting EVs was studied among 146 children and 137 adults in a small community in Cameroon. The participants provided 2,458 fecal samples during 1-year monthly collection; 10 or more samples were obtained from 55%. Partial 5'UTR-VP4 region could be sequenced in 393/547 PCR positive samples obtained from 119 children and 85 adults. EV-RNA was detected in at least one sample from 235 participants (83%) during the study period. A total of 121 different strains were identified, 66 infected only children, 29 only adults, and 26 infected both children and adults. There were children with up to five episodes with different strains, and adults with up to four such episodes. Infants aged <5 years were significantly more often EV infected compared to older participants. Infections with species EV-C constituted two third of all cases, and overall EV infections were more common during the rainy season. Species EV-B more often infected children than adults. Most strains were detected only for certain months of the year; however five strains were observed during the time spans of 5-10 months. Two strains were excreted up to eight months in three children and one adult. In 11 of the 128 families with paired samples the child and the adult were infected simultaneously by the same strain, indicating common source of infection. The study revealed a surprising complexity of EV ecosystem in a single community.

Assessment of the Content and Utilization of Antenatal Care Services in a Rural Community in Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Pregnant women receive antenatal care (ANC) to ensure favorable pregnancy outcomes. Despite the high ANC coverage rate registered nationally in Cameroon; rural women, women with no formal education and those in the most deprived quintile still face difficulties in having access to quality ANC. The impact of the aforementioned factors on ANC use in the Muea Health Area (MHA) is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of women attending ANC and the factors influencing ANC attendance in the MHA. Materials and Methods: This was a community based, analytical, cross sectional survey that involved pregnant women and women with children less than two years old who gave an informed consent or assent. Data were collected using a semi structured questionnaire. EPI info Version 7 and Stat Pac for Windows version 12? 1998-2011 (Stat Pac Inc, Bloomington, USA) were used for data analysis. Associations were considered statistically significant for p values less than 0.05. Results: Two hundred and twenty women were interviewed. The mean age was 25 years (SD 5.28). Ninety-nine percent of women had at least one ANC visit meanwhile 84.8% had at least four ANC visits. Only 27.2% of women booked for ANC in the first trimester. Rural (Maumu) residence was associated with inappropriate ANC attendance (attending less than four times) (χ2 = 18.5; p = 0.001). Semi urban women (87%; 95% C.I. = 85.10% - 89.0%) were more likely to attend four or more sessions than rural (Maumu) women (60.7%; 95% C.I. = 44.2% - 77.3%) (p = 0.001). Participant’s educational level was a significant predictor of early booking for ANC (χ2 = 26.8; p = 0.0002). Semi urban wom- en (79.1%; 95% C.I. = 76.0% - 82.2%) were significantly more likely to have a vaginal examination done than rural (Maumu) women (42.1%; 95% C.I. = 17.5% - 68.2%) (p = 0.0001). Women who met a doctor during ANC (84.0%; 95% C.I. = 80.8% - 87.0%) were more likely to have a vaginal examination done than women who only met a nurse or a midwife during ANC (65.0%; 95% C.I. = 57.7% - 71.4%) (p = 0.002). One third of women did not have a vaginal examination performed during ANC. 45.83% and 47.6% neither did a stool test nor received an insecticide treated net (ITN) respectively. Conclusion: Women in the MHA start their antenatal care late, so they should be encouraged to book early for antenatal surveillance. Furthermore, efforts should be made to increase the access of these women to quality ANC services and to adequately trained ANC providers.

A Public Health Model and Framework to Mitigate the Impact of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Due to HIV/AIDS in Cameroon

UNICEF, UNAIDS and USAID developed a global strategic framework to guide responses to care and protect orphans and other vulnerable children in the context of HIV/AIDS. In the developing world, about 132 million people have lost one or both parents due to the AIDS pandemic and 25 million children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS in 2010. The HIV prevalence in Cameroon is estimated at 5.1%. As of 2010, there were 304,000 deaths due to AIDS in Cameroon. Out of 1,200,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Cameroon in 2010, 300,000 were AIDS orphans. The HIV/AIDS burden impacts child survival, growth and development in the traditional African setting. With so many orphans in the population, along with many vulnerable children, strategies must be developed to respond more effectively to their critical needs. This study provides a model for OVC care and support in Cameroon. The model was developed out of extensive work using a participatory approach involving traditional, administrative and health stakeholders on OVC in Yaounde I and Yaounde VI Councils, Nanga Eboko Health District, Isangelle, Ekondo Titi, and Bafaka-Balue communities in Cameroon. Consultancy services with PLAN Cameroon, the Pan African Institute for Development-West Africa coupled with facilitation of many training workshops on OVC with Save the orphans Foundation, the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Health and working with the National AIDS Control Committee. The essential components of a holistic framework for the care of OVC have been identified. A public health model for the care of OVC and a mechanism for their identification and a referral system for testing OVC for HIV are proposed. Through this model, a mechanism for the effective holistic care of OVC and collaboration is enhanced.

The role of non-timber forest products to communities living in the Northern periphery of the Korup National Park

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) extraction and trade is considered an income generating activity for subsistence livelihood in rural forest communities in Cameroon. This paper is to ascertain whether Non-timber forest products exploitation and commercialization is economically profitable to livelihood or just a customary activity promoted by economic hardship. Surveys involving 184 households, parcel inventories, interviews and reviews were used revealing that Non-timber forest products exploitation and farming occupy 90.8% and 80.4% respectively of the total work force. Agricultural contribute 66% against 31% for Non-timber forest products to the local economy. Policy changes like the institutionalization of community forest and decentralizations in 1997 and the transfer of authoritative regulation to peripheral actors in the mid-1990s permitted local benefit from Non-timber forest products resources. http://dx.doi.org/10.17127/got/2013.4.009 Data de submissão: 2013-09-19 Data de aprovação: 2013-12-06 Data de publicação: 2013-12-30

Cameroon’s Environmental Impact Assessment Decree and Public Participation in Concession-Based Forestry: An Exploratory Assessment of Eight Forest-Dependent Communities

This paper examines the degree to which public participation in concession-based forestry decision-making - as outlined by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Decree (No. 2005/0577/PM)-is taking place in eight forest-dependent communities of Cameroon. Of the total respondents that took part in the survey, only 39 per cent stated that they were involved in decisions concerning concession-based forestry. Furthermore, there seems to be a generally negative perception on the part of local communities towards the government’s implementation of public participation legislation in concession-based forestry decision-making. Obstacles to public decision-making process are identified and recommendations are proffered for more effective public participation.

Opportunities for and capacity barriers to the implementation of REDD + projects with smallholder farmers: Case study of Awae and Akok, Centre and South Regions, Cameroon

There is increasing consensus over the inclusion of smallholder farmers in REDD+ (Reduced Emissions through reduced Deforestation and Degradation) initiatives, expected to be one essential component within the new set of “Flexible Mechanisms” in the post-Kyoto Climate Change Agreement. However, with few long-term REDD+ pilot projects implemented with smallholders, this paper attempts to anticipate potential synergies and constraints of such initiatives from smallholders' point of view by developing a framework to examine the capacities of two rural communities in Cameroon as a case study. Smallholder experiences with REDD+ pilots and their predecessors such as integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs), Payments for Environmental Services (PES) and the Clean Development Mechanism's Afforestation/Reforestation Projects (CDM AR), are outlined in order to highlight local-level REDD+ project requirements. This paper assesses the capacity for smallholders in the South and Centre Provinces of Cameroon to respond to these requirements through data collected from individual and small-group key informant interviews. The two case study communities possess similar but different livelihood capitals regarding proximities to market, forest cover, livelihood strategies and access to extension services. For both villages smallholder capacity for future REDD+ project adoption was found to require reinforcement to guarantee local feasibility of REDD+ projects. Possibilities to encourage already in use agroforestry systems under a REDD+ scheme are discussed. From these results, we outline recommendations, areas of concern and key targets for capacity building for future REDD+ initiatives with smallholders in rural Africa.

The relationship between perception and prevalence of faecal-orally transmitted parasitic infections among school children’s in a rural community in Cameroon

Background : Faecal-orally transmitted parasites are those which are spread through faecal contamination of food and drinks. Infections with these parasites are responsible for high morbidity and mortality, especially in children in developing countries. Objective : This study was carried out to determine school children’s perception of faecal-orally transmitted parasitic infections and the relationship between that perception and the prevalence of the infections. Methods : Data were collected through questionnaires and laboratory analysis of stool samples. The study was conducted in two phases. In phase 1 questionnaires were administered to determine children’s knowledge on the cause, risk behaviours and prevention of the faecal-orally parasite infections. Stool specimens were analyzed using the formol-ether concentration technique. Health education was utilized in the experimental village, but not the control. Phase 2 was conducted six months later during which questionnaires were distributed and stool samples analyzed from both villages. Results : A total of 370 children were enrolled in this intervention study, out of which 208 were from Kake II (experimental arm) and 162 from Barombi-kang (control arm). At Kake II there was a significant increase in awareness in relation to the source of infection (9.5% vs. 62.5%, P 0.1) and there was no significant change in the prevalence of any of the faecal-orally transmitted parasites detected. The relationship between the perception and the prevalence of feacal orally transmitted parasitic infections showed a strong negative correlation (r dispersed between -0.97 and -99) Conclusion : Health education applied in the experimental village was responsible for the changed perception of infection by children and consequently for the reduction of infestation rate. Good perception of the infection was inversely proportional to its prevalence. Therefore, health education through the framework of school proved to be an effective control method for faecalorally parasite infections. We recommend this inexpensive method to be adopted as a national policy in developing countries, especially in rural communities. Key Words : Perception and prevalence, Faecal-orally transmitted parasitic infections, School children, Cameroon

Explaining low yields and low food production in Cameroon: a farmers’ perspective

While a bottom-up approach to identifying problems affecting food production among small-scale farmers has been urged as an appropriate means of finding sustainable solutions, few studies have determined the practical process of doing so and measured the outcomes of such an approach. This paper uses information gained mainly through focus groups with small-scale farmers and semi-structured interviews, to identify farmers’ perceptions of reasons behind low yields and low agricultural production in three communities of Cameroon’s North West region. Three biophysical factors are identified as the main reasons of low production: the long and more frequent dry spells and late start of the start of the rainy season. Three socio-economic reasons are identified as most important: land scarcity, money to invest in agriculture and labour scarcity. Farmers rank their reasons based on the importance to their agricultural production in their local area. Some of the important claims made by farmers are tested using field data and statistical analysis. These include the claims that: (1) the rainy season is increasingly starting later than it used to; and (2) the length of dry spells are increasingly longer than they used to be. The results of these statistical tests are significant, showing that farmers’ knowledge of some of the local problems affecting their activities can serve as an important input into formal research and policy design. Peoples’ understanding of a problem affects the way they will act on it—in terms of searching for solutions and implementing change. Farmers can therefore provide useful insights on why they think there are large yield gaps within their local production environments. The current agricultural development policy of the Cameroon government is advocating greater public–private engagement and can benefit from farmers’ inputs and opinions in the design of relevant policies. In the same light, nonlocal based researchers and research institutions can draw on farmers’ knowledge to create and accumulate knowledge on sustainable solutions to problems of low yields and low food production in Cameroon.

Measuring the Impact of Health Education Modules in Cameroon, West Africa

Each year, more than two million people die from diarrhea-associated diseases. Although there is a global need for safe drinking water, culturally appropriate health teaching is essential to behavior change. This study evaluated the impact of a health education program in a small rural community in Cameroon. Flash cards and a modified version of the CDC-KPC 2000 survey were used to collect data in 57 homes. Children who lived in households with working Manz BioSand filters were less likely to have had diarrhea in the 2 weeks prior to the evaluation. There remained a gap between health knowledge and healthy behaviors for hand hygiene and malaria prevention. This gap was significant in the diarrheal treatment (McNemar's test, p < .000). The interdisciplinary program and 7-year time frame were crucial to sustainability. Faculty and students learned the importance of pairing service learning and research that respect local cultures in fostering a healthier global community.

Assessment of chewing stick (miswak) use in a Muslim community in Cameroon

Abstract Objective: To determine the prevalence and reasons for chewing stick use among adult Muslim′s inhabitants of Banyo in the Adamawa region of Cameroon. Materials and Methods: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study aimed at determining the prevalence and reasons for chewing stick use among Muslims was conducted between November 2010 and April 2011. Results: Of the 220 participants in this study, 187 (85.0%) of them reported chewing stick use for teeth cleaning, and this was higher among males than females. Chewing stick use increased with ageing and varied among participants of different professions. Chewing stick users accented that the chewing stick use has a relationship with religion, and believed that chewing stick has a positive effect in the mouth than the non-users. Chewing stick users were less likely to have visited the dentist and experienced mouth odor but more likely to report oral health problems than non-users. The majority of the participants used chewing stick alone while a few used chewing stick with salt, charcoal and toothpaste The reasons for chewing stick use were religious advice, treatment of oral diseases, imitation of others and pleasure. Conclusion: Chewing stick use was common among participants with religious advice being the most dominant reason for the usage. Chewing stick users were less likely to visit the dentist, experience mouth odor but are more likely to report oral health problem than the non-users. This study information will serve as a useful guide in community oral health interventional development programme among Muslims.

Psychological Undertones of Family Poverty in Rural Communities in Cameroon: Resilience and Coping Strategies

The objectives of this exploratory study were to investigate (a) the effects of poverty, and (b) family resilience strategies used in managing poverty among the Bakweri of Bonavada villages in Cameroon. Fifty heads of families comprising 250 persons constituted the participants of the study. Ten of the family heads who are opinion leaders were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide and ten participated in a focus group discussion. In addition, an unstructured interview was used to collect data from 40 heads of families. Data were analysed using content analysis and descriptively using percentages. The study found that the effects of family poverty are multifaceted, and families depend largely on resilience and their socio-cultural context to cope with poverty.

The impact of health education on the prevalence of faecal-orally transmitted parasitic infections among school children in a rural community in Cameroon

Faecal-orally transmitted parasites are those parasites which are spread through faecal contamination of food and drinks. Infections with these parasites are among the most common in the world being responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality, especially in children. This study was carried out to determine the impact of health education on the prevalence of faecal-orally transmitted parasitic infections among primary school children in a typical African rural community. An intervention study was conducted in two villages in the South-West Region of Cameroon. A total of 370 volunteer pupils aged between 5-15 years were enrolled in the study out of which 208 were from Kake II (experimental arm) and 162 from Barombi-Kang (control arm). The research was conducted in two phases. In phase 1, stool samples were collected from all participants and analyzed using the formol-ether concentration technique and health education was given to the pupils in the experimental village but not in the control village. Phase 2 was conducted six months later during which only stool samples were collected and analyzed from both villages. Before health education intervention (phase 1) faecal-orally transmitted parasites were present in 106 (50.9%) stool specimens collected in Kake II and in 84 (51.5%) of those collected in Barombi-kang. The difference in prevalence between these two villages was not significant (P>0.05). After health education intervention (phase 2), 56 (26.9%) stool specimens were positive for faecal-oral parasite in Kake II and 92 (54.7%) in Barombi-kang, and the difference in prevalence between these two villages was statistically significant (P0.05). The change in the prevalence of infection was significant in Kake II (50.9% vs. 26.9%, P0.05). Hence, health education applied in the experimental village was responsible for the drop in the prevalence observed, especially among pupils infected with Ascaris lumbricoides (24.9% vs. 3.4%, P=0.004) Health education through the framework of schools can be used as a strategy for the control of faecal-orally transmitted parasitic infections among children in African rural communities.

Women’s Use of Mass Media and Information Technology to Curb Pre- and Post-Natal Complications in Rural Cameroon

Pre- and post-natal complications in Cameroon are a serious cause for concern. Neonatal mortality in 2023 was 54 deaths per 1000 live births. Common causes include prematurity, asphyxia, infection, congenital malformations, and neonatal tetanus. Meanwhile, hemorrhage, hypertensive diseases and their complications, sepsis/infection, and HIV/AIDS are leading causes of death among child-bearing mothers in Cameroon. This study, conducted in ten rural communities in Cameroon, interrogates how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and conventional media can be used to fight against these complications. A total of 1351 women who are pregnant or were pregnant within the past five years were surveyed using a questionnaire with 48 variables split into seven sections: media use and knowledge; other channels of health communication; pre-natal complications; pre-natal healthcare; delivery complications; post natal complications; and demographics. Findings suggest that only 10.4% of respondents rely on ICTs (mobilephones and Internet) for their healthcare education during pregnancy and after delivery. This is due to limited accessibilty, affordability, and low literacy levels. Results show that ICTs like smartphones are valuable in communicating privacy and sensitive health information. For conventional media, respondents prefer television (39.5%) and radio (29.5%) because they are available, reliable, affordable, and entertaining. Overall, 1190 (88.3%) respondents attest that hospital talks by doctors, midwives, and nurses are the most effective way of obtaining reliable information to tackle pre- and post-natal issues in rural Cameroon. Hence, findings valorize interpersonal communication. Recommendations illustrate the need to democratize and simplify healthcare information in the media and during one-on-one interactions between health providers and mothers, so as to speed health information adoption and use by women of child-bearing age.