Northwest Province Of Cameroon Research Articles

Evolution, Safety and Security Challenges of the Public Road Transportation Sector in the North West Region of Cameroon, 1961-1989

The paper investigates the evolution and the safety and security challenges that plagued the public road transport sector in the North West Province of Cameroon from 1961 to 1989. Though there has been growing interest and increased activities in the sector since independence, security and safety concerns has become some of the major setbacks to the endeavours of actors in that domain. Using mostly primary and secondary sources, and the thematic and qualitative method of analyses, the study argues chaos and disorder characterized the road transport sector and exposed not only passengers, but also other road users due to inadequate safety and security measures from drivers and conductors of vehicles involved in the sector. Besides, different government agencies in charge of transport management made things worse by abandoning their responsibilities in favour bribes and other financial benefits from drivers, thus giving a blind eye to the safety and security needs of commuters. Reckless driving, over aging, poor state of vehicles and the absence of the maintenance tradition, poor state of road infrastructure and the absence of safety road sings all made the road transport sector a nightmare in the North West Region of Cameroon. it is a result of this factors that crimes and squashing punctuated the security of public road transport users

Attitudes of health care professionals towards Mutual Health Organizations: evidence from two regions in the Northwest Province of Cameroon

Aim Mutual Health Organizations (MHOs) can be a potential means to reduce barriers to health care in low-income countries with poor access to health care and high health care costs for the population. One important challenge is the relationship between MHOs and health care professionals (HCPs). Our study evaluates HCPs experiences of, and attitudes towards MHOs.

Sorghum as an Indigenous Drought Resistant Crop for Food Security in the North West Province of Cameroon

The paper uses a participatory and case study approach to discuss the importance of sorghum as an indigenous drought resistant crop for food security in the North-West province of Cameroon. It was found that sorghum was experiencing a decline in production due to: the colonial introduction of exotic cash crops, limited cultivation land and tenure insecurity, lack of farming equipment and government financial support to small-scale farmers. It is recommended that the government develop policy strategies to promote the cultivation of indigenous food crops; support the interface between indigenous and modern knowledge systems to improve production; promote indigenous knowledge awareness among government extension officers; support small-scale sorghum farmers, especially women, with modern inputs and equipment, finance and research for information on sorghum production, post-harvest and marketing channels. This will assist them to improve productivity and sustainability of sorghum production.

Uncovering high rates of unsafe injection equipment reuse in rural Cameroon: validation of a survey instrument that probes for specific misconceptions.

BackgroundUnsafe reuse of injection equipment in hospitals is an on-going threat to patient safety in many parts of Africa. The extent of this problem is difficult to measure. Standard WHO injection safety assessment protocols used in the 2003 national injection safety assessment in Cameroon are problematic because health workers often behave differently under the observation of visitors. The main objective of this study is to assess the extent of unsafe injection equipment reuse and potential for blood-borne virus transmission in Cameroon. This can be done by probing for misconceptions about injection safety that explain reuse without sterilization. These misconceptions concern useless precautions against cross-contamination, i.e. "indirect reuse" of injection equipment. To investigate whether a shortage of supply explains unsafe reuse, we compared our survey data against records of purchases.MethodsAll health workers at public hospitals in two health districts in the Northwest Province of Cameroon were interviewed about their own injection practices. Injection equipment supply purchase records documented for January to December 2009 were compared with self-reported rates of syringe reuse. The number of HIV, HBV and HCV infections that result from unsafe medical injections in these health districts is estimated from the frequency of unsafe reuse, the number of injections performed, the probability that reused injection equipment had just been used on an infected patient, the size of the susceptible population, and the transmission efficiency of each virus in an injection.ResultsInjection equipment reuse occurs commonly in the Northwest Province of Cameroon, practiced by 44% of health workers at public hospitals. Self-reported rates of syringe reuse only partly explained by records on injection equipment supplied to these hospitals, showing a shortage of syringes where syringes are reused. Injection safety interventions could prevent an estimated 14-336 HIV infections, 248-661 HBV infections and 7-114 HCV infections each year in these health districts.ConclusionsInjection safety assessments that probe for indirect reuse may be more effective than observational assessments. The autodisable syringe may be an appropriate solution to injection safety problems in some hospitals in Cameroon. Advocacy for injection safety interventions should be a public health priority.

PRESENT STATUS OF THE HEIFER PROJECT INTERNATIONAL-CAMEROON RABBIT PROGRAM : BACK TO THE FUTURE

In the past five years, Heifer Project lnternational (HPI) has distributed 2,119 rabbits to 1,410 limiled-resource families in 66 villages primarily localed in the northwest province of Cameroon. However, lhese figures exclude thousands of addilional farmers who received either direct or indirect assistance by HPI since project inceplion in 1982. HPl's approach towards poverty allevialion is to financially support a new rabbil project for farm families in a selected village for a period of three years. Technical follow-up support is then extended for an addilional two years, after which time the anticipated self-sufficient project is formally phased-out. In 1999, accompanied by HPI field staff, the consultant (the first author of this paper) visited a total of 48 farmers from 10 villages in the northwest province. On each farm, notes were taken which identified poor to good management-level practices, housing and feeding systems, as well as socio-economic aspects of the project. HPI progress reports and case studies conducted by studenl interns from University of Dschang were made available to supplement the consullant's notes in developing this evaluation report. Overall, production level of rabbit fryers presently appear to be low on farms (approximately 2.45 fryers are consumed and 2.61 fryers are sold per month). Further, income generation is a critical determinant of whether rabbits will continue to be regarded by farmers as a backyard livestock species for domestic use or as a commodity species for supplemental income. HPI could play a pivotal role in developing either local or formal market outlets for their surplus fryers. To date, the HPI-CAM rabbit program has improved family nutrition, enhanced community development and gender status in villages.

Disruptive colonial boundaries and attempts to resolve land/boundary disputes in the Grasslands of Bamenda, Cameroon

The 1990s ushered in an unprecedented wave of violent land/boundary disputes between village-groups in the Grasslands of Bamenda, North-West Province of Cameroon, on a scale that had never been witnessed before. Widespread hardship, introduced by the prevailing economic crisis was blamed for these disputes. But on closer examination it became clear that land/boundary disputes in the region have their roots in European colonialism, and derive largely from administrative policies that were disruptive on inter-village boundaries. Despite the efforts of British colonial authorities at resolving these disputes before the close of the colonial era, they have persisted because post-colonial administrations in Cameroon have failed to judiciously address them.

Pregnancy follow-up in a patient with mechanical valve: possible in sub-Saharan Africa?

In Africa in general and in Cameroon in particular, post rheumatic cardiopathies are a health care problem, one of the causes of infertility in the women population and a major cause of death among children and adults. Management of a pregnant woman with mechanical heart valve is a complex issue for all health care providers involved in the care of such patients. Miss A is 26-years old and consulted for cardiac assessment; referred from Bamenda (North-West province of Cameroon) for better management of a cardiac problem including arrhythmia and a history of recurrent tonsillitis. The cardiac echo-dopplerography showed severe post-rheumatic mitral valve regurgitation with pulmonary hypertension and a dysfunctional left ventricle. The patient was later evacuated in a surgical centre in Milan San Donato (Italy) where a St. Jude mechanical heart valve N.27 was implanted. Two years after surgery, during a follow-up visit, the patient brought a pelvic ultrasound showing a single live intrauterine foetus, gestational age estimated at 7 weeks. Management of mechanical valve in a pregnancy context, resulting in a favourable outcome (no thromboembolic events and the delivery of a healthy baby) is possible in sub-Saharan Africa. Close observation, adherence to existing clinical guidelines, patient cooperation and an appropriate technical infrastructure are critical factors to consider.

The incidence, clustering and characteristics of Burkitt lymphoma in the Northwest province of Cameroon

The epidemiology of Burkitt lymphoma (BL) has never been documented in Cameroon. Data were collected from 16 hospitals, the Delegation of Public Health and the regional pathologist in the Northwest province of Cameroon on all BL cases. The incidence of BL in this region is 5.9/100,000 children aged <15 years/year - the second highest incidence documented to date. Significant clustering was also identified in Ndop, a low-lying region with a high malaria endemicity, at 21.5 cases/100,000 children aged <15 year/year (P < 0.001).

Women with disabilities in the North West province of Cameroon: resilient and deserving of greater attention

Cameroonian women living with disabilities face three‐fold discrimination as a result of their sex, perceived inability and low socio‐economic status. A needs assessment using focus groups (two focus groups, n = 24) and key participant interviews (n = 12) was conducted to explore the experiences of women with disabilities in the North West province in both urban and rural areas. The findings show that women faced both physical and attitudinal barriers, lived in poverty and felt that they lacked opportunities for gaining an education, finding employment and forming meaningful social ties. There was significant complexity of relationships, marriage and children in their lives. Participants generated ideas on changes that needed to be made for the betterment of their lives. Aspirations included increasing empowerment and education, gaining support from family and friends, increasing public awareness, adapting the physical environment and finding allies.

Implications of Child Labour for Agricultural Production, Productivity and food security in Cameroon

The farming system in Africa is characterized by small peasant family farms whose production and productivity depend on the participation of all members of the family including children. In Cameroon, as elsewhere in African production, the traditional agricultural sector is based on an impressive division of labour along gender and age lines. Farm operations such as clearing and hunting are carried out by men, while others such as planting and weeding are culturally assigned to women and children. A major postulate of these laws is that the rights of children are abused and their physical bodies exploited. This structure and organization of the African family farm have an impact on the family and food security in African countries. Since 1919, a number of milestones have been achieved in the fight against child labour. These include the 1999 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No. 182), culminating in the establishment of the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 (ILO, 2003:6). An empirical analysis of the family farm through a case study in Momo Division of the North West Province of Cameroon confirms that the productivity of food crop-based and cash crop-based agricultural enterprises using cocoyam and coffee as sample crops is greatly influenced by competing economic, social and cultural factors such as the crop itself, age and gender. A multistage random sampling technique was adopted in the selection of a sample of 120 farmers. The results show that farm size per family range from < 1.0 ha to 4.0 ha for cocoyam production with an average of 1.24 hectares, and from <1.0 ha to 7.0 hectares for coffee production with an average of 1.54 hectares. The main sources of labour on both enterprises were family, hired and exchange/communal. For the two crops approximately 46% women contributed to the total labour required as against 33% for men and 21 for children. Women (89.7%) were more engaged in hiring labour than men (66.4%). Farm operations that employed more children and women than men included land preparation, weeding, harvesting and marketing. Recommendations are made for further research particularly policy studies on food, agriculture and rural development within the context of food self sufficiency, food security and sustainable development. Key words : child labour, cocoyam, coffee, person days, gender, agricultural production and productivity, food security, and rural development

Elephantiasis of non-filarial origin (podoconiosis) in the highlands of north–western Cameroon

Lymphoedema, a condition of localized fluid retention, results from a compromised lymphatic system. Although one common cause in the tropics is infection with filarial worms, non-filarial lymphoedema, also known as podoconiosis, has been reported among barefoot farmers in volcanic highland zones of Africa, Central and South America and north-western India. There are conflicting reports on the causes of lymphoedema in the highland regions of Cameroon, where the condition is of great public-health importance. To characterise the focus of lymphoedema in the highlands of the North West province of Cameroon and investigate its real causes, a cross-sectional study was carried out on the adults (aged > or =15 years) living in the communities that fall within the Ndop and Tubah health districts. The subjects, who had to have lived in the study area for at least 10 years, were interviewed, examined clinically, and, when possible, checked for microfilaraemia. The cases of lymphoedema confirmed by ultrasonography and a random sample of the other subjects were also tested for filarial antigenaemia. The interviews, which explored knowledge, attitudes and perceptions (KAP) relating to lymphoedema, revealed that the condition was well known, with each study community having a local name for it. Of the 834 individuals examined clinically, 66 (8.1%) had lymphoedema of the lower limb, with all the clinical stages of this condition represented. None of the 792 individuals examined parasitologically, however, had microfilariae of W. bancrofti (or any other filarial parasite) in their peripheral blood, and only one (0.25%) of the 399 individuals tested for the circulating antigens of W. bancrofti gave a positive result. In addition, none of the 504 mosquitoes caught landing on human bait in the study area and dissected was found to harbour any stage of W. bancrofti. These findings indicate that the elephantiasis seen in the North West province of Cameroon is of non-filarial origin.

Gender Roles and practices in natural resource management in the North West Province of Cameroon

In most cases, gender neglect in natural resources in the North West Province of Cameroon has resulted in sustained conflict between resource managers and users. This in turn has led to the failure of well-intentioned efforts towards sustainable management. This paper highlights the need for a gendered approach to natural resource planning and management which includes both men and women. It examines the relationship between human activities and natural resource degradation, and brings to the fore the gender profile of all those who own, access, and benefit from the exploitation of water and forest resources, as well as non-timber forest products, under existing customary and national policies. The paper argues that given the current traditional gender role practices and division of labour in the province, women are critical both as agents and as victims of natural resource exploitation and management. Gender mainstreaming constitutes a fulcrum for development planning and an entry point for successful management of natural resources in developing countries.

The role of women's secret societies in cameroon's contemporary politics: the case of Takumbeng.

Although there are many secret societies, most of which belong to the male folk in the North West Province of Cameroon, little was and/or is known about their activities. However, Takumbeng, a women's secret society from the North West Province of Cameroon came to prominence in the 1990's during the political upheaval and disenchantment against the undemocratic policies of the government at the time. This period was characterised by demonstrations, protests and riots that were organised and spearheaded by the Social Democratic Front, a local political party based in the North West Province. These struggles culminated in the famous ‘ghost towns' that crippled Cameroon's economy and whose impact is still lingering. The participation of women in the political agitations was reinforced and encouraged by the women's secret society, the Takumbeng. The group became transformed against the backdrop of these popular agitations and disgruntleness and as a result impacted on the national contemporary politics. This article examines the role played by the Takumbeng in the North West Province of Cameroon in entrenching democratic principles in Cameroon contemporary politics. African Journal of Cross-Cultural psychology and sport facilitation (AJCPSF) Vol. 8 2006: pp. 1-17

Economic opportunity survey of small scale dairy farms of the north west province of Cameroon

An Economic Opportunity Survey was conducted on dairy farms in the North West Province of Cameroon. Results showed that median (range) number of cows in milk per farm was zero point six (0-4) and six (3-12) in the zero grazing and transhumance systems, respectively. Medians (range) of three (0-24) and four (3-10) litres of milk were sold per farm per day, corresponding to 30% and 60% of milk produced. 24% and 13% of total cattle per herd were milking cows in the zero grazing and transhumance systems respectively. Median milk production per cow on one day was two (0-25) and two (1-3) litres. Median calf production interval was 14.5 (12-25) and. 21.5 (14-29) months. More milk produced per day represented the best economic opportunity in both systems while reduced age at first calving and longer lactation length were the next in both. Wastage of milk through spoilage from poor hygiene and lack of cooling was a major problem. Holstein cows, which were in the zero grazing system, had unexpectedly short lactations. Constraints identified led to the setting up of interventions of training and advice for farmers and of better nutrition.

New species of Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Cameroon

A new large (100 mm SVL) species of forest‐dwelling gecko of the genus Hemidactylus is described from the Furu‐Awa area in the Northwest Province of Cameroon. The species is distinguished from other equatorial West African members of the genus by its large size, 18–20 rows of small dorsal tubercles, 45 precloacal‐femoral pores in males, transversely enlarged median subcaudal plates, reduced tail tuberculation and distinctive purplish colour pattern.

FROM RESEARCH TO FARMER ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT IN CAMEROON: CASE STUDY OF KOLA NUTS

Recent research conducted by ICRAF and collaborators has demonstrated a strong demand for Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in the humid forest areas of Cameroon. These NTFPs include: Cola nitida, Ricinodendron heudelotii, Gnetum africanum and Irvingia spp. However, farmers find it difficult to achieve good returns from these products, even with viable national, regional and international markets for the products. In response to that, ICRAF-AHT (Africa Humid Tropics) is leading a Farmer Enterprise Development project aimed at empowering rural households through the development of appropriate marketing strategies that can be used for a range of products. The innovative approach combines training and development of farmer entrepreneurial skills, the development of NTFPs markets through adding value and developing appropriate technologies to improve product quality, harvesting, storage, processing and packaging. The approach is based on research, development of appropriate technologies, partnerships and farmers' group -enterprise development. This paper looks at the importance of biophysical and market research in order to develop a holistic enterprise development strategy using kola nut as a case study. Results show that there are clear limitations to significantly increasing income from kola nuts business in Cameroon: limited market access, low resource regeneration, limited available capital, and lack of appropriate processing technology. Results also show that kola weevils (Balanogastris kolae & Saphrorhinus spp.), attacking the nuts both prior to harvest and during storage, are the major problem faced by kola producers, wholesalers, retailers and even consumers. Economic simulations have demonstrated that reducing post-harvest losses to 5% and increasing production by 5% could increase the profitability of the kola nut business by 17%. The efficiency of various weevil control methods as used by farmers is assessed in on-farm trials to provide appropriate control approaches. Meanwhile, group- marketing approaches are also evaluated with farmer groups in the Northwest province of Cameroon and links between kola producers and traders are established.

Cultural Barriers to Exclusive Breastfeeding by Mothers in a Rural Area of Cameroon, Africa

Because of the known nutritional and health benefits to the infant, the World Health Organization recommends that women in resource-poor countries exclusively breastfeed until their babies reach 6 months of age. In the primarily rural geographical region of the North West Province of Cameroon, previous studies identified the prevalence of breastfeeding to be 90%. It is common knowledge that women are culturally encouraged to mix-feed their infants, but the extent of these feeding practices is not known. The objective of this study was to identify the extent of mixed feeding/supplementation and the cultural/social barriers to exclusive breastfeeding. All women surveyed introduced water and food supplementation prior to 6 months of age, with more than 38% giving water in the first month of life. Mothers identified cultural factors influencing their decision to mix-feed their babies, which included 1) pressures by village elders and families to supplement because it is a traditional practice, 2) belief that breast milk is an incomplete food that does not increase the infants weight, 3) belief that all family members should receive the benefit of food grown in the family farm, and 4) the taboo of prohibiting sexual contact during breastfeeding.

Combined Utilisation of Rapid Assessment Procedures for Loiasis (RAPLOA) and Onchocerciasis (REA) in Rain forest Villages of Cameroon

BackgroundIndividuals with high microfilarial loads of Loa loa are at increased risk of neurologic serious adverse (SAE) events following ivermectin treatment against onchocerciasis. RAPLOA (Rapid Assessment Procedure for loiasis), a newly developed rapid assessment procedure for loiasis that relates the prevalence of key clinical manifestation of loiasis (history of eye worm) to the level of endemicity of the infection (prevalence of high intensity), is a very useful tool to identify areas at potential risk of L. loa post ivermectin treatment encephalopathy. In a perspective of treatment decision making in areas of co-endemicity of loiasis/onchocerciasis, it would be advantageous (both in time and cost savings) for national onchocerciasis control programmes to use RAPLOA and the Rapid epidemiologic assessment for onchocerciasis (REA), in combination in given surveys. Since each of the two rapid assessment tools have their own specificities, the workability of combining the two methods needed to be tested.MethodsWe worked in 10 communities of a forest area presumed co-endemic for loiasis and onchocerciasis in the North-West Province of Cameroon where the mass-treatment with ivermectin had not been carried out. A four-step approach was used and comprised: (i) generating data on the prevalence and intensity of loiasis and onchocerciasis in an area where such information is scarce; (ii) testing the relationship between the L. loa microfilaraemia prevalence and the RAPLOA prevalence, (iii) testing the relationship between the O. volvulus microfiladermia prevalence and the REA prevalence, (iv) testing the workability of combining RAPLOA/REA by study teams in which a single individual can perform the interview for RAPLOA and the nodule palpation for REA.ResultsThe microfilaraemia prevalence of loiasis in communities ranged from 3.6% to 14.3%. 6 (0.61%) individuals had L. loa microfilarial loads above 8000 mf/ml but none of them attained 30,000 mf/ml, the threshold value above which the risk of developing neurologic SAE after ivermectin treatment is very high. None of the communities surveyed had RAPLOA prevalence above 40%. All the communities had microfiladermia prevalence above 60%. The microfiladermia results could be confirmed by the rapid epidemiologic method (nodule palpation), with all the 10 communities having REA prevalence above 20%. For the first time, this study has demonstrated that the two rapid assessment procedures for loiasis and onchocerciasis can be carried out simultaneously by a survey team, in which a single individual can administer the questionnaire for RAPLOA and perform the nodule palpation for REA.ConclusionThis study has: (i) Revealed that the Momo valley of the North West province of Cameroon is hyperendemic for onchocerciasis, but is of lower level of endemicity for L. loa. (ii) Confirmed the previous relationships established between RAPLOA and the L. loa microfilaraemia prevalence in one hand and between the REA and the O. volvulus microfiladermia prevalence in another hand (iii) Shown that RAPLOA and REA could be used simultaneously for the evaluation of loiasis and onchocerciasis endemicity in areas targeted by the African Programme for onchocerciasis Control for community-directed treatment with ivermectin (CDTI).

Grassroots Participation for Infrastructural Provisioning in Northwest Cameroon: Are Village Development Associations the Panacea?

ABSTRACT Local communities are the loci of spatial development initiatives as they wrestle with the problem of resource scarcity and to fill the void left by the reduction in state services. This paper explores the gender dimension of grassroots participation in community development in selected localities of the Northwest Province of Cameroon. It outlines the gender roles and biases of grassroots participation through Village Development Associations (VDAs), which have become the prevalent vehicles for the galvanization of indigenous resource and building of social and human capital for project execution. Projects successfully executed include the construction of bridges and community halls, renovation of school buildings and health centres, digging and maintenance of earth roads, and the provision of pipe-borne water. In spite of communitarian efforts, VDAs are finding it difficult to embark on large-scale infrastructural development projects such as rural electrification, road construction, water supply and health centres, all of which require huge capital investments and a high degree of technical expertise. Participation is also affected by a litany of gender-based inequalities, mismanagement, ambiguous and vested interests of the elite, and complex operational structures of VDAs coupled with a politicized institutional environment. The paper concludes that although VDAs are not the cure-all, if revitalized, they can determine the local development agenda and become conduits for direct efforts at poverty reduction.

HIV-1 CRF09_cpx Circulates in the North West Province of Cameroon Where CRF02_AG Infections Predominate and Recombinant Strains Are Common

This study describes the HIV-1 genetic diversity that currently circulates in Bamenda, the provincial capital of the North West province of Cameroon. Phylogenetic analysis of the protease (pro) gene of 20 HIV-1-seropositive individuals identified 11 (55%) CRF02_AG, one D, one F2, one J, and four (20%) unclassifiable strains. Interestingly, the remaining two (10%) samples, 02CMNYU3072 and 03CMNYU3224, originating from epidemiologically unlinked individuals, were classified as CRF09_cpx, representing the first reported cases of this complex circulating recombinant form (CRF) in Cameroon. Additional analysis of the C2V5 portion of the envelope (env) gene confirmed the CRF09_cpx identity of these isolates and classified the remaining isolates as CRF02_AG (n = 12, 63%), subtype D (n = 2, 11%), subtype F2 (n = 2, 11%), and subtype A1 (n = 1). In combination, the pro and env subtyping results revealed three (16%) isolates with discordant subtypes including J( pro )CRF02_AG( env ), CRF02_AG( pro )D( env ), and CRF02_AG( pro )F2( env ). In conclusion, this study highlights the presence of HIV-1 CRF09_cpx in Cameroon and identifies three possible intersubtype recombinants (ISRs) containing CRF02_AG in a town where CRF02_AG infections predominate, and stresses the commonness of HIV-1 recombinant strains in a region where broad genetic diversity exists.