West Region Of Cameroon Research Articles

Impact of Nutrition Education on the Nutrition Capacity of Caregivers and Nutrition Outcomes of Indigenous Mbororo Children in the West Region of Cameroon: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundInadequate diets and life-threatening infections have profound adverse implications for child growth, development, and survival, particularly among indigenous peoples. Evidence of the effectiveness of community-based nutrition education interventions in improving child feeding and nutrition outcomes among indigenous Mbororo population in Cameroon is scarce.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the impact of culturally tailored community-based nutrition education intervention on caregivers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding complementary feeding and on nutrition outcomes of indigenous Mbororo children (aged 3-59 months) in the Foumban and Galim health districts of the West Region of Cameroon.MethodsA two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted in the Foumban Health District and Galim Health District. The intervention and control arms will each comprise 5 clusters with 121 child–caregiver pairs. Participants in the intervention arm will be organized into 5 caregivers’ peer-support platforms. A total of 12 educational sessions will be assigned to the intervention group by trained female Mbororo nutrition volunteers (n=6) and community health workers (n=6). The control arm will receive routine facility-based nutrition education. Data will be collected at 3-month and 6-month follow-up. Both descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic models will be used to estimate the effect of culturally tailored community-based nutrition education intervention (independent variable) on outcome variables (caregivers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice), child growth (weight, height/length, weight for age), and morbidity status (diarrhea, cough, and fever) between both arms. Data assessors will be blinded to the group allocation. Ethical approval (reference no. 2019/1002-07/UB/SG/IRB/FHS) was obtained from the Faculty of Health Sciences Institutional Review Board at the University of Buea.ResultsBaseline data were collected in September 2019. In February 2020, 10 Mbororo communities (clusters) with 242 child–caregiver pairs were selected and allocated to the experimental and control arm in a 1:1 ratio. Community nutrition volunteers (n=6) and community health workers (n=6) were selected and trained. Data collection and analysis are ongoing, and results are not available for this manuscript.ConclusionsThe findings of this study will provide evidence on the impact of culturally tailored and health belief model–based nutrition education on behavior change as a complementary strategy for strengthening health facility–based approaches in the reduction of malnutrition burden among the study populationInternational Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/23115

Antifungal Activity of Some Plant Extracts Against Morphotypes of Fusarium spp. Associated with Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) Fruit Rots in The West-Region of Cameroon

Antifungal Activity of Some Plant Extracts Against Morphotypes of Fusarium spp. Associated with Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) Fruit Rots in The West-Region of Cameroon

Water fetching burden: A qualitative study to examine how it differs by gender among rural households in the west region of Cameroon

Women act as gatekeepers in securing water for their households. Using this qualitative methodology, 35 participants were interviewed with the objectives to determine roles and responsibilities of different family members in fetching and managing water and examine differences in perceptions related to water access/use between men and women in households from rural areas of the Menoua Division, West Cameroon. We found that the household structure was key component in each family member’s degree of involvement in water fetching and management. A significant gender gap was found among adults with fewer men than women experiencing coping strategies-related to water scarcity. Hence, women participation in designing water and food security initiatives is warranted.

Factors Influencing The Adoption And Use Of Mobile Money In Cameroon: Case Of Mobile Money Operators And Users In Buea

Mobile Money is an innovation that has transformed e-business in the Cameroonian context. This study examines the factors that enhance the adoption and use of mobile money in Buea, capital of the South West Region of Cameroon. The theoretical framework used is the diffusion of innovation. The qualitative approach is adopted, with 10 mobile money operators and 10 mobile money users interviewed using a structured interview protocol. Results show that participants prefer adopting and using mobile services because they are easy to use, convenient, readily accessible, and have less charges compared to the traditional banking system. Telecommunications companies should therefore, continue to consider less charges and bonuses as a strategy to increase penetration and adoption of mobile money services. Likewise, the instructions and language essential to effect Mobile Money operations like internet and airtime purchase should remain simple.

Public Infrastructure Procurement Practice and Challenges in the Bamenda Municipality, North West Region Cameroon

Public infrastructures play a significant role in poverty reduction, human development and spatial interaction of the population. The practices of stakeholders in the procurement system in Bamenda are a controversy in the contemporary socio-political discourse. Through these practices, public infrastructures are provided to and for the population. This paper seeks to uncover the myriad of challenges involved in the procurement practices in Bamenda. The study made use of both qualitative and quantitative data, obtained using secondary and primary sources from documentary exploration and extensive field work. Secondary sources included books, annual reports and archives of Divisional and Regional Delegations, Inspectorates of Education, Regional Institute of Statistics and Public Contracts Regulatory Agency, North West amongst others. Primary data was obtained over three months of extensive field investigations through questionnaires interviews and focus group discussions. A GPS was utilized to obtain geographic coordinates of publicly procured infrastructures, particularly health, educational and road infrastructures. Results reveal that there is complexity in the way procurement is undertaken for socio-economic benefits to the population. Procurement principles are ineffectively applied, leading to inefficient execution of contracts. Late payment of contract funds amongst others is a cause of inefficient execution and lateness in the delivery of procurement output in the domains of health, roads and educational infrastructures. The study recommends project owners to release contract funds earlier than usual and contractors who enhance poor execution of projects and uncivil road users who facilitate road degradation or cause damages to projects be severely sanctioned. The Law No. 73/7 of 7 December 1973 on the preferential claim of the treasury to safeguard public funds by Municipal and Regional Councils should be effectively implemented.

Evaluation of quality of life and associated factors among HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy in North West region of Cameroon

There is evidence that Quality of Life (QoL) of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) has a significant role in ART retention, treatment adherence, and survival. As a result, QoL is becoming increasingly important for policymakers, program implementers, and researchers. However, factors associated with QoL, in a culturally diverse country like Cameroon are unknown. We aimed to assess the QoL of PLHIV on ART and assess the extent to which physical, psychosocial, environmental, and spiritual factors drive QoL. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 394 PLHIV aged >21 in North-West Cameroon from April to July 2019. Data were collected using WHO-QOL BREF questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. Majority (34.5%) of participants were in the age range of 41-50, with 73% females. The average QoL of the respondents was "good" with mean score of 3.57 on 5 and 71.4% agreed to have satisfactory QoL. Bivariate regression analyses revealed that all six proposed predictors were significantly associated with QoL. Psychological factors made the greatest impact (β = 0.213; p<0.003), followed by physical factors (β = 0.19; p<0.001). PLHIV fairly agreed to have good QoL. The QoL was driven by mainly psychological and physical factors and not level of independence. However, the mean score perceptions for the investigated domains were low. Mental health services should consider these predictors when designing strategies to improve the QoL of PLHIV. While this study provides useful insights, other possible drivers of QoL among PLHIV should be investigated.

Intestinal Helminth Infections and Associated Risk Factors among School-Aged Children of Bamendjou Community, West Region of Cameroon.

Background Infection with intestinal nematodes is of major public health concern worldwide, and school-age children and pregnant women are the principal victims. The present study was undertaken to provide baseline information on the status of gastrointestinal nematodes among school-age children in Bamendjou. Material and Methods. Four hundred and ninety-three (493) stool samples were collected from school children in six (6) different schools (two nursery, two primary, and two secondary schools). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of stool samples were done using the simple flotation and McMaster count techniques, respectively. Results Among the 493 participants, 57 (11.6%) stool samples were positive for at least one nematode species. Four nematodes are as follows: Ascaris sp., Trichuris sp., hookworms, and Strongyloides sp. with respective prevalence and intensities of infection of 6.1% and 2260 ± 6377.98, 3.4% and 223.53 ± 264.054, 3.0% and 416.67 ± 427.061, and 0.2% and 200 ± 00, respectively. The data on the prevalence of nematodes with respect to sex showed that females (13.1%) were more infected than males (12.2%) (P > 0.05). Furthermore, with respect to age, older children were more infected than younger ones. Cases of double parasitism were encountered with a prevalence of 1.2%. According to the fecal concentration of eggs, 61.90% of the infections were light. Risk factors such as drinking water from streams and not wearing shoes all the time were significant with infections. Conclusion The relatively low overall prevalence (11.6%) obtained in this study shows that the national deworming campaign is proving effective, though a more holistic approach is required to prevent infections from bouncing back after such campaigns.

Wildlife collections of Royal Palace Museums in The West Region of Cameroon with a Focus on wildlife conservation

The royal palace museums of the Grassfields’ Kingdoms of West Region of Cameroon are well recognized for the preservation of culturally significant objects and practices. To date, the role of palace museums in wildlife conservation has received little consideration. Herein, a preliminary study into the animalbased artefacts of palace museums from a wildlife conservation perspective is presented. A total of 11 chiefdom palace museums in the West Region of Cameroon were surveyed and the animal species represented in their exhibitions recorded. Parts of 32 different animal species, including locally extinct large mammals such as lion, cheetah, chimpanzee, and elephant were found. The primary purpose for inclusion of specimens in palace museums was for preservation of culture. However, potential wildlife conservation focused uses to which palace museums may also put their collections are discussed herein.&#x0D; KeyWords: Grassfields, Bamileke, Bamoun, Culture, Education, Mammals.&#x0D; &#x0D; Les musées du palais royal des royaumes des Grassfields de la région de l’Ouest Cameroun sont bien connus pour la préservation d’objets et de pratiques culturellement significatifs. À ce jour, le rôle des musées de palais dans la conservation de la faune a été peu pris en compte. Ici, une étude préliminaire des collections animales de ces musées du point de vue de la conservation de la faune est présentée. Onze musées de palais de chefferies de la région de l’Ouest Cameroun ont été étudiés et les espèces animales représentées dans leurs expositions ont été enregistrées. Des parties de 32 espèces animales différentes, y compris de grands mammifères localement disparus comme le lion, le guépard, le chimpanzé et l’éléphant ont été découverts. Le but principal de l’inclusion de spécimens dans les musées du palais est la préservation de la culture. Cependant, les utilisations potentielles axées sur la conservation de la faune auxquelles les musées de palais peuvent également mettre leurs collections sont discutées ici.&#x0D; Mots clés:

Field management of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) leaf blight via fungicidal spray of foliage

Taro leaf blight (TLB) epidemic hit Cameroon for the first time in 2009. Since then, the disease is persistent and its typical devastating legacy is threatening Taro (Colocasia esculenta) in the North and South West Regions of Cameroon. This study was initiated with the objective to determine the potentials of some fungicides to control TLB. The experimental design was completely randomized with a 3x15x2 factorial, including 3 treatments: T1 (Callomil plus72WP), T2 (Mancoxyl plus 720WP) and T3, 1:1 ratio T1 + T2 all applied at concentrations of 4g/L; 15 repetitions and 2 planting seasons (dry season i.e. October 2014 – March 2015 and rainy season i.e. April-October 2015). Disease incidence and disease severity were used to evaluate the disease progression while corm yield was used to appraise the economic injury. The results revealed disease incidence of 0% during the dry season and 18.2%, 27.3% and 100%, for T1, T2 and T3 and control during rainy season respectively. Disease severity was 75% in control and only 1% for the different treatments. Corm yield in the rainy season was 17.4kg, 15.08kg, 14.27kg and 5.89kg for T1, T2, T3 and control respectively. This study suggests that TLB epidemic can effectively be managed by foliage spray with Metalaxyl containing fungicides at a weekly dosage of 4g/L.&#x0D; Key words: Chemical control, Colocasia esculenta, Epidemic, Phytopathology, Phytophthora colocasiae

Human and Environmental Health Implications of Pesticide Utilization by Market Gardeners in the Western Highlands of Cameroon

Aims: Assessment of human and environmental health implications of pesticide use by farmers in the western highlands of Cameroon, the case of Fotouni.&#x0D; Study design: Descriptive Cross-Sectional&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: This work was done between November 2016 and March 2017 in Fotouni (West Region of Cameroon).&#x0D; Methodology: A structured questionnaires randomly administered to 76 markets gardeners owning a farm and willing to take part in the survey.&#x0D; Results: The survey revealed that secondary school was the highest level of education achieved by most of the respondents (68.4%). Farmers were aged between 19 and 63 years, the highest percentage (47.4%) being in the 31 to 40 years range. Five pesticide families were used in the study area with a predominance of insecticides. Thirty-one commercial names were recorded corresponding to 18 active ingredients. Chlorothalonil was the most used active ingredient. Beauchamp and Dimethoate were two illegally used compounds recorded. Most farmers (89%) mixed pesticide before application while others (31.6%) changed dosage per crop season. Furthermore, prescribed doses were not followed by 34.2% of respondents and 60.5% of farmers hadn’t receive any training on pesticide application. Market gardeners chose pesticides to apply mainly from information on labels (71%). Farm water was used by 92.1% of respondents for domestic purposes; 28.9% of respondents testified active pesticide poisoning while 47.4% failed to use protective equipment during application. Seven post-application symptoms were recorded, the main one being impaired vison and nausea. The farm house was the main pesticide storage site (56%). Empty sachets were poorly managed as respondents burned (42%) or buried (10%). The Restricted Entry Interval was a mystery for the majority of respondents (70%) who declared they re-entered the farms less than 24h after application.&#x0D; Conclusion: Farmers were highly exposed to pesticides due to ignorance and poor legislation.

Distribution and factors associated with urogenital schistosomiasis in the Tiko Health District, a semi-urban setting, South West Region, Cameroon

BackgroundIncreased risk of schistosomiasis in peri-urban and urban towns is not uncommon. An epidemiological survey was carried out in the Tiko Health District (THD), an unmapped transmission focus for urogenital schistosomiasis (UGS), to assess the distribution, intensity, and risk factors associated with the occurrence of UGS.MethodsIn this cross-sectional survey, 12 communities were purposively selected from four health areas (HAs) (Likomba, Holforth, Holforth-Likomba, and Mutengene) in South West Region of Cameroon between June and August 2018. Consenting individuals were enrolled using a convenient sampling technique and administered a semi-structured questionnaire to document information on socio-demographic and water contact behaviour. Urine samples were examined for Schistosomahaematobium infection using test strip, filtration, and microscopy methods. Bivariate and binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of infection.ResultsThe overall prevalence of UGS in Likomba, Holforth-Likomba and Holforth was 31.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 28.3–34.8] with geometric mean (GM) egg count of 28.7 (range: 2–450) eggs per 10 ml of urine. S.haematobium infection was not found in Mutengene HA. Infection was unevenly distributed among the HAs, Holforth-Likomba and Holforth being the most and least affected, respectively. The prevalence of infection varied (P < 0.001) among the affected communities, ranging from 12.0 to 56.9%. Infection status of the community related positively (P < 0.001) with proximity to stream (< 100 m), the degree of contact with water and number of improved water sources. Younger age group (5–14 years) [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.7, 95% CI: 1.1–12.2] and intense water contact (degree II) (aOR: 5.2, 95% CI: 3.4–8.1) were associated with increased risk of infection. Similarly, significantly higher egg load was observed among younger aged groups (P = 0.02) and those who carried out intense water contact activities (P < 0.001).ConclusionsGenerally, THD is a moderate risk endemic focus for UGS but prevalence higher than 50.0% was observed in some communities. These findings warrant immediate mass chemotherapy with praziquantel to reduce morbidity. Provision of portable water and health education are proposed measures to reduce and eventually eliminate transmission in the area.Graphic abstract

English

In Cameroon in 2017, malaria accounted for 53% of hospitalizations, 61% of deaths among under-five children. The National Program adopted since 2015 the integrated Community Directed Interventions (CDI) for the control of malaria. This study determined the impact of the home-based management of childhood malaria morbidity and mortality in the Penka-Michel and Santchou Health Districts of the West Region in Cameroon. A retrospective hospital record-based study was carried out to assess childhood malaria morbidity and mortality in Penka-Michel where CDI is implemented and in Santchou Health District where CDI is not implemented. Childhood malaria morbidity and mortality were determined from July 2014 to June 2019. The analysis of variance was used to compare the morbidity and mortality before and after CDI. P values of less than 0.05 was considered statistical significant. A total of 32,976 consultations files of children under-five were reviewed. The number of malaria cases increased significantly from 2733 (33.7%) before CDI to 5202 (38.4%) after CDI in the Penka Michel Health District but decreased from 2003 (41.9%) before CDI to 1723 (40.7%) after CDI in the Santchou Health District. The number of deaths caused by malaria increased from pre to post CDI in the Santchou Health District from 1(10%) before CDI to 3(30%) after CDI but decreased in the Penka Michel Health District from 5 (22.7%) before CDI to 3 (13.6%) after CDI. The implementation of the integrated CDI of malaria in the Penka Michel Health District has benefited the population by enhancing early detection of childhood malaria cases through CHWs in the community; thus significantly increasing morbidity and decreasing mortality. Key words: Cameroon, children under five, malaria, morbidity, mortality, integrated CDI.

Home-Based Intervention for the Prevention and Treatment of Malaria Among Children Younger Than 5 Years in the West Region of Cameroon: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundAlthough malaria is preventable and curable, 1 child dies of this disease every 2 minutes in Africa. Home-based management of malaria reduces the progression of severe malaria by more than 50%. Scalable, efficacious, and cost-effective strategies are needed to empower the capacities of home caregivers of children younger than 5 years of age in health education, diagnosis, and treatment of malaria at home.ObjectiveThe main objective of this trial is to assess the impact of the management provided by home caregivers on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of malaria in children younger than 5 years as compared to the home-based malaria management component of the integrated community-directed intervention (CDI) strategy of community health workers (CHWs).MethodsA randomized controlled trial will be conducted. CHWs have conducted a census of all households where there is at least one child younger than 5 years with their home caregivers. These children and their home caregivers have been randomly placed into the intervention or control groups among the households identified. The trial will allow malaria home-based prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of 350 children younger than 5 years old by home caregivers in the Fombap area (intervention group) where the integrated CDI strategy will not implemented. This group will be compared to the home-based malaria management component of the integrated CDI strategy in which 350 children in the same age group will be followed up by CHWs in the Baneghang area (control group). The primary outcomes will be the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of malaria in children younger than 5 years of age by home caregivers at home. The secondary outcomes comprise the malaria follow-up indicators produced by home caregivers in the intervention group and those produced by CHWs in the control group. Both descriptive and one-way analysis of variance estimation techniques will be used to compare the mean difference in the 2 strategies.ResultsFrom September 2019 to October 2019, all home caregivers with children younger than 5 years of age were identified in the intervention and control group by CHWs. Following this, 203 home caregivers with their 350 children younger than 5 years were randomly selected and enrolled in the intervention group, while 225 home caregivers with their 350 children younger than 5 years were enrolled in the control group. In the intervention group, 203 home caregivers were trained in November 2019. This home treatment effectively started in December 2019 and will continue until May 2020.ConclusionsFindings from this randomized controlled trial will contribute to resolving the challenges of severe malaria and to limiting the death due to malaria of children younger than 5 years. This will bring benefits to home caregivers who will know how to promptly diagnose and properly treat malaria in their children at home.Trial RegistrationPan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR) 202003487018009; https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=9788International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/19633

Study on the local know-how of the use of beef hides in western Cameroon meals

The current study was conducted in four localities in the West region of Cameroon from May to September 2019, to know the pre-treatments made on given to beef hides before their use in different dishes, as well as the ingredients used in the preparation of pepper soup beef hides through household surveys. A total of 307 housewives were surveyed interviewed. The data was collected using a questionnaire and further analyzed using Sphinx Plus2 V5 software. Results showed that 54.6 to 71% participants consumed beef hides monthly. More than 50% participants purchased their beef hides at the butchery at a price varying between XAF 1,000 for 1Kg of uncleaned smoked beef hides and XAF 3,000 for 2Kg of clean smoked beef hides. The results also showed that there were five main stages in the preparation of beef hides and housewives had a greater preference of beef hides from the head and buttocks. The pre-cooking of beef hides was done between 180 and 240 minutes, with a quantity of water varying between 4 and 5 liters for 1 to 2Kg of beef hides, on the wood fire. “Eru” and “Yellow achu sauce” were cited as the main sauces in which beef hides were used at 95.40% and 85% respectively. Besides, more than 70% of housewives used a maximum of five ingredients for the preparation of pepper soup beef hides. Our findings revealed, interesting insights on the steps and ingredients used when preparing pepper soup beef hides that will be of great importance in the development of better formulation for pepper soup beef hides preparation

Connaissances, attitudes et pratiques des professionnels de santé sur le cancer du col de l’utérus au Cameroun

Cervical cancer is the cause of 311,000 deaths each year worldwide and 1,540 deaths in Cameroon. It is a public health problem, but only one in ten women is screened for cervical cancer screening in Cameroon. Little data is available on the KAPs of health professionals in the Mifi Health District, in the west Region of Cameroon. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of these professionals vis-à-vis cervical cancerResults: Overall, 200 health professionals were interviewed. Regarding the knowledge of the cause of cervical cancer, only 35% of participants were able to declare HPV. With regards to prevention measures, 32% of health professionals knew HPV vaccine. Regarding the perception of the disease; 79.3% of Physicians evoked cervical cancer as severe disease. Concerning the practice of screening, only 15% of health professionals routinely advise screening. Health workers in the health district of Mifi have poor knowledge on cervical cancer and weak practice of screening. Training of health professionals and the development of cervical cancer screening units are needed.

The effect of the ongoing civil strife on key immunisation outcomes in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon

BackgroundCivil strife has long been recognized as a significant barrier in the fight against vaccine preventable diseases in several parts of the world. However, little is known about the impact of the ongoing civil strife on the immunisation system in the Northwest (NW) and Southwest (SW) regions of Cameroon, which erupted in late 2016. In this paper, we assessed the effect of the conflict on key immunisation outcomes in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon.MethodsData were obtained from the standard EPI data reporting tool, the District Vaccine and Data Management Tool (DVDMT), from all the districts in the two regions. Completed forms were then reviewed for accuracy prior to data entry at central level. Summary statistics were used to estimate the variables of interest for each region for the years 2016 (pre-conflict) and 2019 (during conflict).ResultsIn the two regions, the security situation has deteriorated in almost all districts, which in turn has disrupted basic healthcare delivery in those areas. A total of 26 facilities were destroyed and 11 healthcare workers killed in both regions. Reported immunisation coverage rates for key antigens including, BCG, DPT-3 and MR, witnessed a dramatic decline between 2016 and 2019, ranging from 22% points decline for BCG in the NW and to 42% points decline for DPT-3 in the SW. Similarly, the proportion of districts with DPT-3 coverage of at least 80% dropped from 75% in 2016 to 11% in 2019 in the NW. In the SW this proportion dropped from 16% in 2016 to 0 % in 2019.ConclusionOur data demonstrates the marked negative impact of the ongoing civil strife on key immunisation outcomes in the two regions and the country at large. This decline could amplify the risk of vaccine preventable diseases vaccine preventable diseases outbreaks in the two regions. Besides the ongoing actions to contain the crises, effective strategies for reaching children in the conflict zones as well as the internally displaced population are needed. There is also the need to rebuild destroyed facilities as well as to protect health facilities and staff from targeted violence.

Tracking Demographic Movements and Immunization Status to Improve Children's Access to Immunization (TDM-IAI): Protocol for a Field-Based Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundIn Cameroon, the coverage, completeness, and timeliness of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) vaccines administration in children have remained heterogeneous and below the national and districts targets in several districts. In an effort to solve this problem, many interventions have been tested but none has shown significant improvement of the situation.ObjectiveThis trial aims to test whether involving Community Volunteers to assess children vaccination status and demographic movements and using recorded data to plan catch-up immunization sessions can improve children vaccination timeliness, completeness and coverage.MethodsCommunities of the Foumban Health district, West region of Cameroon will be selected and assigned to either intervention or control groups using a restricted randomization of 2. In the intervention group, one Community Volunteer per community will be trained to visit households and record EPI-targeted children in a register, record their demographic movements, and assess their immunization status monthly for a year. The information recorded will be snapped and sent to the competent health center immunization team through WhatsApp. These will be used to plan and implement monthly community catch up immunization sessions in collaboration with the community volunteer. In the control group, the routine immunization sessions will be conducted with health centers organizing either weekly vaccination sessions for communities situated not farther than 5 kilometers away from the health facility or monthly vaccination sessions in communities situated more than 5 kilometers away from the health center. Baseline, mid-term and end-line surveys will be conducted to assess and compare immunization coverage, timeliness, and completeness.ResultsFunded in 2018, data collection started in 2018 and has been completed. Data analysis and reporting are ongoing.ConclusionsThis trial is expecting to test an innovative approach to improving children’s immunization timeliness, completeness and coverage of immunization by tracking EPI targeted population vaccination status and denominator at household level and building collaboration between the community and health facilities vaccination teams to organize monthly community-based response vaccination sessions. This intervention is expected to improve children sustainable access to EPI vaccination as it offers assessing and responding to their immunization needs at monthly basis using low cost local human resources.Trial RegistrationPan African Clinical Trials Registry ID PACTR201808527428720; tinyurl.com/u058qnseInternational Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/21734

Microbiological quality and genotoxicity of domestic water sources: A combined approach using Micro Biological Survey method and mutagenesis assay (micronucleus test) in root tips of Vicia faba in the West region of Cameroon.

At least 2.1 billion people around the world use contaminated drinking water, causing 485,000 diarrheal deaths each year, mostly among children under 5 years old. A study conducted 10 years ago in Bafoussam (West Cameroon) recorded concentrations of bacteria among surface and groundwater. High levels of bicarbonates, phosphates, chlorides and suspended matters were also found. The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological and chemical qualities of domestic water sources in 5 localities of the West region of Cameroon. Water samples from 22 water sources (wells, springs, water drilling and river) were aseptically collected in plastic bottles and transferred in 50 ml sterile tubes. For chlorinated water sources, 1 ml of Thiosulfate was added to the water sample; immediately placed in an ice box and transported to the laboratory for analysis. Water temperature and pH were measured on site. The microbiological quality of water was determined by testing Total Coliforms (TC) using the Micro Biological Survey method. 1 ml of each water sample was inoculated in the MBS vial initially rehydrated with 10 ml of sterile distilled water. The initial color of the vials is red. Color changes were monitored at three different time intervals (12h, 19h and 24h), corresponding to three levels of contamination. The chemical quality of water was assessed using micronucleus (MN) test in selected Vicia faba seeds secondary root tips permanently mounted in Dibutylphthalate Polystyrene Xylene mountant for histology after 72 hours of direct exposition in water samples and in dark. The mitotic indices and MN frequencies were evaluated in 10 root tips per site analysing 5000 cells per tip. Statistical analyses were done using Stata IC/15.0 software. The Student t-test was used for mean comparison and the significance level was set at 1%. The majority of samples were collected from wells (63.6%). The mean water pH ranged from 5.5 to 8.3 and the temperature varied from 23 to 26°C. A very high concentration of TC [>103 CFU/ml] was found in 8 (36.4%) samples. 10 (45.5%) and 2 (9.1%) samples turned yellow at 19 and 24 hours respectively after incubation corresponding to TC concentration of [10<x<103 CFU/ml] and [1<x< 10 CFU/ml]. The MN frequency was higher (P ≤ 0.01) compared to the negative control in 9 (40.9%) water samples indicating significant genotoxic effects of these water sources. This study highlighted the poor quality of domestic water sources in West region of Cameroon and the need to conduct regular monitoring of drinking water sources. Community capacity building on water treatment methods, including good wastes management should be implemented to help improve water quality.

The Pro-Decentralization Effect on Management of Local Enterprises: A Structural Model of the Case of Bamenda III municipality Mezam Division, Cameroon

The study was aimed at investigating the effect of pro-decentralization on management of local enterprises in Bamenda III municipality, North West Region of Cameroon. Data was derived through the use of questionnaire on a sample of 500 registered voters and businessmen who have knowledge of local enterprises in Bamenda III using purposive sampling approach. The objective was achieved by applying maximum likelihood estimation technique of structural equation modelling using SmartPLS software version 2. The empirical results revealed that pro-decentralization has a significant positive effect on the management of local enterprises and corruption orientation. Corruption orientation has a negative influence on the management of local enterprises, though not found to be significant. The finding indicated that a unit increase in pro-decentralization has the tendency to improve the management of local enterprises to the tune of 63%. The study therefore recommends that policies of decentralization should be corruption free and should be directed towards enhancing service quality of local enterprises.

NP-internal structure and the distribution of adjectives in Mə̀dʉ́mbὰ

Abstract This article discusses the structural and internal properties of adjectives in Mə̀dʉ́mbὰ, a Grassfield language spoken in the west region of Cameroon. It focuses on material inside the NP with a view towards establishing the structural positions of NP-internal constituents such as adjectives. I analyze adjectives and propose, following Scott, Gary-John. 1998. Stacked adjectival modification and the structure of nominal phrases. School of Oriental and African Studies Working Papers in Linguistics and Phonetics 8. 59–89, Scott, Gary-John. 2002. Stacked adjectival modification and the structure of nominal phrases. In Guglielmo Cinque (ed.), Functional structure in DP and IP: The cartography of syntactic structures, 91–120. New York: Oxford University Press that adjectives pattern within the DP just like adverbs pattern within the clause. In Mə̀dʉ́mbὰ, an adjective can be placed before the noun, after the noun or alternatively before and after the noun. Mə̀dʉ́mbὰ adjectives can further be distinguished as belonging to three classes: pure adjectives, verbal adjectives and nominal adjectives. In this paper I focus principally on the position in which attributive adjectives are generated inside the DP. However, issues relating to the internal structure of adjectives will also be mentioned. I show that Cinque, Guglielmo. 1994. On the evidence for partial N-movement in the Romance DP. In Guglielmo Cinque, Jan Koster, Jean-Yves Pollock, Luigi Rizzi &amp; Raffaella Zanuttini (eds.), Paths towards universal grammar, 85–110. Georgetown: Georgetown University Press, Cinque, Guglielmo. 2003. The dual source of adjectives and XP-vs. N-raising in the Romance DP. Incontro annuale di dialettologia, Padua, 26, Cinque, Guglielmo. 2010. The syntax of adjectives: A comparative study. Linguistic Inquiry Monographs. Cambridge: MIT Press), and Laenzlinger, Christophe. 2005. French adjective ordering: Perspectives on DP-internal movement types. Lingua 115 views are both necessary to fully capture adjectival placement facts in Mə̀dʉ́mbὰ. Building on and refining the analysis given by these authors, I demonstrate that the type of mechanism involved in introducing adjectival modification correlates with the syntax of the adjective. On the proposal advanced here, depending on their syntactic distribution, adjectives are generated in specifier positions directly and NumP versus FP movement yields the surface structure.