Cameroonian Women Research Articles

Vaccinators' Perception of HPV Vaccination in the Saa Health District of Cameroon.

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women in Cameroon. In November 2020, the HPV vaccine was introduced into the expanded programme on immunisation. However, uptake of the vaccine has been slow in the Centre region as opposed to other regions in the country. We therefore sought to describe vaccinators' perception of HPV vaccination in Saa health district.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire with both open-ended and closed questions was used to assess the perception of HPV vaccination among 24 vaccinators from the Saa health district. Quantitative data were summarised as proportions while qualitative data were deductively and inductively coded and thematically analysed.Results: Most vaccinators (75%, n = 18) had a good knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. Fourteen (58.3%, n = 14) vaccinators correctly reported the target group, number and spacing of doses for the HPV vaccine. Fourteen (58.3%) vaccinators favoured HPV vaccination while the others (n = 10) were sceptical. Sceptics felt manufacturers hadn't given enough proof of the safety of the vaccine and lacked confidence in government's assessment of the epidemiological situation. The COVID 19 pandemic, fear of infertility and the negative influence of social media were perceived as the main reasons for community hesitancy. Vaccinators criticised health authorities for failing to sensitise the population about the HPV vaccine before its introduction.Conclusion: Vaccinators' perceptions of HPV vaccination may influence the offer of HPV vaccination services. Measures to increase acceptance of HPV vaccination and ownership of the activity among vaccinators have to be put in place.

Performance of immunochromatographic and immunoenzymatic techniques in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Cameroon: need for harmonization.

in order to contribute to the improvement of the management of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Cameroon, performance of two techniques commonly used in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis was evaluated. a total of 541 pregnant women were recruited from seven hospitals in two Regions of Cameroon, of which 63% (341: Batch1) were from health facilities (HF) using a immunochromatographic technique (ICT) as a screening test for toxoplasmosis, and 37% (200: Batch2) from those using an immunoenzymatic technique (IEZ). On each sample, Ig (Immunoglobulin) G (IgG) and IgM were tested by three techniques: a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT), an Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) and a Vidas Enzyme-linked fluorescent assay taken as reference (VIDAS/ELFA). The results from the health facilities were recorded. for the IgG assay, our two laboratory methods were sensitive (96.0% and 97.5%) and specific (64.2% and 59.7%). Their concordance rates with the VIDAS/ELFA reference were above 60% (P<0.001). Moreover, for the IgM assay, the performances of the two methods were equivalent: Se= 18.2%, Sp= 99.4% with a low concordance rate (Kappa = 0.24). Considering the results provided by the selected hospitals, the ELISA used in Batch2 showed similar performances to the two techniques used in reference lab while the performances were low for the RDT used in Batch1. both methods showed similar performances (good for (IgG) and poor for IgM). However, for the immunochromatographic method, differences in performance were found between our results and those provided by the selected health facilities. These differences suggest a harmonization of diagnostic techniques for toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Cameroonian health facilities.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with precancerous cervical lesions among women in two cities in Cameroon.

Introductioncervical cancer is the fourth commonest cancer of women world-wide with increasing incidence in developing countries. This study determined the prevalence and assessed risk factors associated with precancerous cervical lesions among women in Cameroon.Methodsthis cross-sectional study enrolled 925 women participants of a screening campaign for precancerous cervical lesions from June to November 2018 in the selected hospitals. A convenience sampling technique was used and socio-demographic, sexual and reproductive data collected from consented participants by means of self-administered questionnaire. During the gynaecologic examination, a cervical smear was collected, stained by the Papanicolaou staining technique and the results classified according to the Bethesda 2014 guidelines. Frequency, percentage, Chi square and regression analysis were conducted using SPSS version 20 and p-value considered at 0.05.Resultsof the 925 participants aged 25-65 years (mean 40.2±10.2 SD), 113 (12.2%) had the lesions among whom 9 (7.9%) had atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, 75 (66.4 %) had Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and 29 (25.7%) had high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. Factors associated with the lesions were: age 1.85 [1.42-2.41; p= 0.001] and parity [OR= 1.46; 95% CI: 1.30-1.89; P= 0.004].Conclusionthe prevalence of precancerous lesions was 12.2%. Age, parity were significant risk factors. Regular screening targeting the population at risk in this study becomes a priority.

Histopathological Aspects of Placental Lesions in Mild and Severe Pre-Eclampsia in a Population of Cameroonian Women

Background: Pre-eclampsia (PE) frequently leads to adverse maternal and foetal outcomes in our setting. The pathophysiology is strongly linked to placental development. We aimed to study placental lesions associated with PE in a population of Cameroonian women. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, analytical study in three university teaching hospitals in Yaounde namely, the Yaounde Central Hospital, the pathology laboratory of the Yaounde University Hospital Centre, and the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital. The study spanned 8 months from January 1st to September 1st, 2021. Placental analysis was carried out as per standard protocol. The study included 101 parturients with pre-eclampsia. These were divided into two groups, with groups 1 and 2 being made of patients with mild pre-eclampsia (n = 40), and severe pre-eclampsia (n = 61), respectively. Results: The mean ages of the two groups were 29.93 ± 7.36 versus 28.28 ± 7.18 (p = 0.267) for patients with mild and severe pre-eclampsia respectively. Low socioeconomic status was the most frequently identified risk factor in both groups (59%). Patients’ history revealed that the women with severe pre-eclampsia tended to have poor pregnancy follow-up compared to those with mild pre-eclampsia (p Conclusion: PE-related placental lesions in our context are multiple and diverse especially in severe disease, and these arise as a result of defective maternal vascular perfusion.

Study protocol for a two-site clinical trial to validate a smartphone-based artificial intelligence classifier identifying cervical precancer and cancer in HPV-positive women in Cameroon.

IntroductionCervical cancer remains a major public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to financial and logistical issues. WHO recommendation for cervical cancer screening in LMICs includes HPV testing as primary screening followed by visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and treatment. However, VIA is a subjective procedure dependent on the healthcare provider’s experience. Its accuracy can be improved by computer-aided detection techniques. Our aim is to assess the performance of a smartphone-based Automated VIA Classifier (AVC) relying on Artificial Intelligence to discriminate precancerous and cancerous lesions from normal cervical tissue.MethodsThe AVC study will be nested in an ongoing cervical cancer screening program called “3T-study” (for Test, Triage and Treat), including HPV self-sampling followed by VIA triage and treatment if needed. After application of acetic acid on the cervix, precancerous and cancerous cells whiten more rapidly than non-cancerous ones and their whiteness persists stronger overtime. The AVC relies on this key feature to determine whether the cervix is suspect for precancer or cancer. In order to train and validate the AVC, 6000 women aged 30 to 49 years meeting the inclusion criteria will be recruited on a voluntary basis, with an estimated 100 CIN2+, calculated using a confidence level of 95% and an estimated sensitivity of 90% +/-7% precision on either side. Diagnostic test performance of AVC test and two current standard tests (VIA and cytology) used routinely for triage will be evaluated and compared. Histopathological examination will serve as reference standard. Participants’ and providers’ acceptability of the technology will also be assessed. The study protocol was registered under ClinicalTrials.gov (number NCT04859530).Expected resultsThe study will determine whether AVC test can be an effective method for cervical cancer screening in LMICs.

Factors associated with access barriers to cervical cancer screening inYaoundé

Several studies report that only 10% of Cameroonian women at risk have ever been screened for this disease. This study aims to analyze the factors explaining the difficulties in accessing screening for cervical cancer in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This was an analytical cross-sectional study (participed/not participated), conducted from May1 to August10, 2020. The study population was made up of two groups (i.e.women without a history of screening; women who benefited from at least one screening session). Data collection was carried out at the gynecology-obstetrics department in two hospitals in Yaoundé (University hospital center and the obstetrics-gynecology and pediatric hospital). Variables were collected using a pre-tested and validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version20 software. Simple and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the influence of different variables on the risk of not participating in screening. A difference was considered significant if P&lt;5%. Out of 300women interviewed, 150 had never participated in screening (50%). In multivariate analysis, the factors associated with difficulties in accessing cervical cancer screening were, level of primary education (58,33% vs. 41,67%, [AOR: 5.12 (3.42-7.65)]), lack of employment (69,74% vs. 30,26%, [AOR: 5.44 (3.32-8.92)]), insufficient knowledge (78,64% vs. 21,36%; [AOR:7.11(5.70-8.88)]) and unfavourable attitude (85,71% vs. 14,29%, [AOR: 5.58(4.41-7.06)]). There are many factors associated with not being screened. It is therefore necessary to develop strategies to improve access to cervical cancer screening services in Cameroon.

Determining Prevalence of Anemia and Its Associated Factors in Cameroon: A Multilevel Analysis.

Background Anemia constitutes a major public health concern, which is associated with maternal and perinatal mortality. In low- and middle-income countries, the burden of anemia is profoundly high. Cameroon, as one of the low- and middle-income countries, has a disproportionate anemia burden. Factors associated with anemia prevalence are largely unknown in Cameroon. Hence, we determined the prevalence of anemia and its individual/household and community-level factors among adult women in Cameroon. Methods We derived data from the 2018 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey for analysis in this study. Using the Stata version 14 software, univariate multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to select variables that had significant association with anemia at p < 0.05. Statistically significant variables were included in a multivariable multilevel logistic regression modelling to examine their associations with anemia. Results were reported using adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with their respective 95% confidence interval (CI). Results A total of 6,809 women aged 15-49 years were involved in this study with a mean age 30 ± 11.87 years. Approximately two-fifths of women were anemic. Of them, 0.8% were severely anemic, while 17.4% and 21.5% were moderately and mildly anemic, respectively. Current employment status (yes AOR = 0.77, 95% CI; 0.61-0.96) and parity (1-2 children AOR = 0.61, 95% CI; 0.44-0.86) were the main individual level factors associated with anemia, whereas region (Douala region AOR = 2.65, 95% CI; 1.61-4.36, North-West region AOR = 0.53, 95% CI; 0.28-0.99) was the community-level factor associated with anaemia. Conclusion Empowerment of women through employment opportunities as well as focusing special attention in region where high prevalence of anemia could be crucial to decrease the burden of anemia and related maternal and perinatal mortality in the country.

Traditional and colonial governance practices and their impact on women’s identities and experiences in French Cameroon: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT In African traditional societies, women oversaw the maintenance of the household by assuming responsibilities such as mother, wife and caretaker. In addition to this, women were involved in economic and political affairs. During the colonial era, however, men were in charge of education, politics and economic affairs, to the near exclusion of women who were specifically trained for home caring roles and on being good wives. This study explores the impact of traditional and colonial systems on women’s identities and lives in French Cameroon. Data was collected from five focus group discussions involving 24 conveniently sampled Cameroonian women aged 55 and above and analyzed using the framework of Content Analysis. The women acknowledged the marginal roles of women in traditional societies although respected and loved, social control and compliance rooted in traditional societies and exacerbated during colonial times, social isolation of women during colonialism because of the traditional roles assigned to women and their fear of white male colonialists, and gender-discriminate colonial education.

Single Dose of Oral Azithromycin With or Without Amoxicillin to Prevent Peripartum Infection in Laboring, High-Risk Women in Cameroon: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

To compare the effectiveness of single-dose azithromycin, with or without amoxicillin, with placebo to prevent peripartum infection in laboring women. We conducted a multicenter, three-group, double-blind randomized controlled trial of women with viable term nonanomalous pregnancies with either prolonged labor of 18 hours or longer or rupture of membranes for 8 hours or longer in Cameroon. Women with chorioamnionitis before randomization, study drug contraindications, or planned cesarean births were excluded. Women were randomized to oral azithromycin 1 g-placebo (group 1), oral azithromycin 1 g-oral amoxicillin 2 g (group 2), or placebo-placebo (group 3). All groups received usual care, including antibiotics given at the health care professional's discretion. The primary outcome was a composite of maternal peripartum infection or death from any cause up to 6 weeks postpartum. Two primary comparisons (group 1 vs group 3 and group 2 vs group 3) were planned. We estimated that 241 women per group (planning for 750 total) would provide 80% power at two-sided α=0.05 (0.025 per comparison) to detect a 50% effect size assuming 20% baseline composite infection rate. From January 6, 2018, to May 15, 2020, 6,531 women were screened, and 756 (253 in group 1, 253 in group 2, and 250 in group 3) were randomized. Baseline characteristics (including body mass index, duration of rupture of membranes or labor, and parity) were balanced across groups, except for maternal age. More than 60% of women in each group received usual-care antibiotics: more than 90% penicillin and approximately 50% for prolonged rupture of membranes across all study groups. Composite outcome incidences were similar in antibiotic groups 1 (6%) and 2 (7%) compared with placebo group 3 (10%) (RR 0.6, 95% CI 0.3-1.2; 0.7, 95% CI 0.4-1.3, respectively). Chorioamnionitis and wound infection were significantly lower in group 2 (3.2% vs 0.4% and 4% vs 0.8% respectively, both P=.02) compared with group 3. There were no differences in other maternal or neonatal outcomes including neonatal infection. A single dose of oral azithromycin with or without amoxicillin for prolonged labor or rupture of membranes at term did not reduce maternal peripartum or neonatal infection. Observed lower than expected infection rates and frequent usual-care antibiotic use may have contributed to these findings. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03248297. Merck for Mothers Investigator Studies Program grant.

Internet access, beliefs about HIV transmission and HIV–AIDS testing among women in Cameroon

This study highlights the influence of Internet access and beliefs about HIV transmission on HIV–AIDS testing among women in Cameroon. The analysis covers a sample of 5958 women, from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS 5) of Cameroon (NIS [2015]. Enquête par grappes à indicateurs multiples (MICS5), 2014, Base de données). The econometric results reveal that the probability of having high access to the internet positively influences the likelihood of getting tested for HIV–AIDS. In addition, established beliefs about AIDS can encourage women to get tested for HIV–AIDS. Also, women who are poor are the most likely to be tested for HIV–AIDS.

Family planning methods and fertility preferences according to HIV status among women in Cameroon.

We investigated whether HIV-positive women differ from HIV-negative women in their fertility, fertility intentions, and use of family planning (FP) among 16,202 women who received services through the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services' Women's Health Program from 2015 to 2017. The 13% of women who were HIV-positive had similar rates of modern FP usage and unmet need compared to HIV-negative women (26% versus 29% for modern FP usage, and 20% versus 21% for unmet need). However, HIV-positive women were more likely to be satisfied with their FP method (aOR = 1.70, p < .001). There were no significant differences in usage by HIV status for most FP methods, but HIV-positive women were more likely to use condoms (aOR = 1.85, p < .01) and less likely to use IUDs (aOR = 0.77, p < .05). HIV-positive women had fewer living children and also desired fewer children (both associations significant at p < .001 in multivariate linear regression). These findings highlight low FP usage and high unmet need among all women, and the need for integrated HIV and FP services for HIV-positive women, particularly aimed at increasing use of more reliable FP methods in addition to condoms.

Inflammation and Insulin Resistance in a Group of Sub-Saharan African Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

BackgroundStudies report high levels of inflammatory markers in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), reflecting chronic low-grade inflammation. This inflammation is thought to be associated with insulin resistance. We aim to evaluate inflammatory markers [high sensitivity C reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6] and insulin resistance in women with PCOS in Yaoundé, Cameroon.MethodsWe conducted a comparative cross-sectional study including 32 women with PCOS aged between 18 and 44 years and 32 controls matched for age and body mass index (BMI). Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index calculated using C peptide levels was used to evaluate insulin resistance. Serum levels of high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were measured. Comparisons were made using the Student’s T-test and non-parametric tests (Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis test).ResultsWe found that the median [25th–75th percentile] level of hsCRP was significantly higher in women with PCOS compared to the controls (0.63 [0.32–3.81] mg/L vs. 0.47 [0.15–1.04] mg/L; p=0.01), while IL-6 levels were not different (8.61 [4.1–33.79] pg/mL for PCOS vs. 8.80 [5.28–38.85] pg/mL for controls; p=0.51). We noted that women with PCOS had a higher HOMA-IR index (1.15±0.90 vs. 0.77±0.38; p=0.03). However, there was no correlation between hsCRP level and the HOMA-IR index (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.10; p=0.62).ConclusionPCOS is associated with an increased level of hsCRP and insulin resistance in Cameroonian women. This exploratory study provides baseline evidence for larger-scale studies.

Association between Lifestyle Factors, Eating Habits and Metabolic Syndrome in Cameroonian Pregnant Women

Although poor eating habits and lifestyle factors have been reported to be associated with metabolic syndrome (MS), little is known about this association in Cameroonian pregnant women. The aim of this study was to describe lifestyle choices and eating habits in Cameroonian pregnant women, and determine their association with MS and its components. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 859 participants aged 17-45 years (mean ± SD: 27.3±5.6) from the Littoral and Centre Regions of Cameroon. Height, weight, serum lipid profile, fasting blood glucose and arterial blood pressure were measured using standard procedures. Information concerning the lifestyle, eating habits and sociodemographic characteristics were recorded using structured questionnaire. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using a slightly modified of National Cholesterol Education Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Statistical analysis was performed through descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, frequency and logistic regression analysis in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 23) software. Statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05. The proportion of participants who reported eating fruits and vegetables occasionally, sugary foods and drinks ≥ 5 times a week and fatty foods ≥ 5 times a week were 77.4%, 23.7% and 22.8% respectively, 41.6% and 39.8% had unhealthy (long and short ) sleeping duration and lack of physical exercise respectively. Also, 54.8% were alcohol consumers. Non-sedentary participants (OR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.29 - 0.85) had lower odds to develop metabolic syndrome compared to sedentary participants. Participants with short sleep and long sleep duration were 5.1 and 2.4 times respectively more likely to have MS than those with normal sleep duration. Participants who had vigorous activities or physical exercise (OR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.18 - 0.82; p: 0.014) where significantly less likely to experience MS than those with lack of physical exercise after controlling for potential covariates (age, parity, gravidity, BMI). Moreover, high consumption of sugary drinks, fatty foods, alcohol consumption (OR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.12 - 3.58; p: 0.019) were associated with MS. Our findings suggest that, adoption of healthy lifestyle and dietary habits should be encouraged to reduce the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its abnormal components. Further prospective studies are needed to consolidate our findings.

Menopausal Management Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross Sectional Study of Cameroonian Women

Background Menopause is a physiological state which induce deep changes in women’s life. Although the climacteric syndrome is very little studied within sub-Saharan women, certainly because of the impact of traditional culture, it have a considerable impact on the quality of life of post-menopausal women. The present study aims at evaluating menopausal management practices during menopause in Cameroonian women. Methods This study is a cross-sectional and analytical survey of a representative sample of 327 Cameroonian menopausal women. The main inclusion criteria was natural menopause. Investigation form was administrated to woman after their informed consent. Comparison of proportions and student t-test with a significance threshold of less than 0.05 was used. Results Women exhibit the majority of climacteric syndrome symptoms: hot flushes (57.80 %), night sweats (47.09%), sleep disturbances (59.63 %) and libido decline (66.67 %) among others. 69.72 % of menopausal women were not followed up although the majority of women (58.88 %) wished such medical care. 34.25 % of women of the study used self-medication to ease their symptoms. Attitude facing climacteric period is indifferent for 27.83 %. Socio-economic level was positively correlate to the attitude at menopause (Correlation index = 0.1644; p < 0.05) while professional statute was negatively correlate to medical care (Correlation index =-0.1610; p < 0.05). Conclusion Cameroonian women managed mainly climacteric symptoms by self-medication. Their socio-economic statute has a positive impact on their attitude during menopause. Furthermore, their professional statute is a decisive factor for medical care of climacteric symptoms.

Breast cancer awareness and screening practice amongst health personnel and general population of the littoral region of Cameroon

IntroductionLate diagnosis has been observed as the hallmark of breast cancer in Cameroonian women where over 70% of patients report with either stage III or IV of the disease, with high mortality and dire socioeconomic consequences. The present study was undertaken to assess the awareness of breast cancer, warning signs and screening methods among Health professionals and general population of Douala. MethodsParticipants included in this study were health practitioners and women randomly selected and enrolled in six health facilities in the city of Douala, Littoral Region, Cameroon. A self-administered questionnaire was designed for each group and aimed at assessing their knowledge about breast cancer, warning signs and screening practices. Then, 616 women underwent breast palpation, followed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) when a nodule was found. ResultsOut of a total of 737 participants (121 health personnel and 616 women) interviewed, a majority (96.3%) were aware of the disease with the main source of information being the hospital (76.0%), media (47.1%) and vocational training schools (45.4%) for health personnel; medias (39.9%), health professionals (26.1%) and their entourage (21.9%) for the population. Health workforce presented suitable awareness of the risk factors for breast cancer and its clinical signs even though 37.1% of them had misconceptions and myth-based ideas on the origin of the disease. Both the population and health personnel were aware of the possibility of early screening for breast cancer and cited breast self-examination, clinical breast examination and mammography as screening techniques. Nonetheless, screening practice amongst all women is very poor and mainly due to ignorance, high cost of mammography, together with a lack of mastery of the BSE technique and the fear of actually discovering signs of the disease. ConclusionOur findings show lack of awareness and low practice of breast cancer screening amongst women in Douala and highlight the need to raise awareness and provide the right information to the public for early detection of breast cancer.

Human Rights of Women under Cameroonian Customary Law: The Need for Change

Human Rights are those rights which are inherent in our nature and without which we cannot live as human beings. The sad fact remains that despite the guarantee of human rights by the Constitution of Cameroon and international treaties, the female half of humanity remains subject to distinctive and continuous forms of abuses, injustice and violence as well as to an enormous range of legal disabilities and discrimination. Our findings revealed that most of the abuses against the women in Cameroon are perpetuated under customary law by the men who see themselves more superior than the women. These abuses take the form of domestic violence and torture, the refusal of the right of inheritance, control and ownership of landed property, ignoring of the woman’s right of consent before marriage, infant betrothal, shaving of hair and sleeping on the floor by a widow after the death of the husband, female genital mutilation and above all, asking a widow to drink the water that was used to wash her husband’s corpse in a bid to prove her innocence that she did not killed her husband. We consider all of these dehumanizing moreover as the woman ceases legally to be a person upon her marriage. Her personality is thus submerged into that of her husband and she becomes the husband’s property. The life of women is thus unfulfilled in many ways and they have accepted this as the natural way of life. There is thus a need for change. This is possible through a careful study and implementation by Cameroon Government of the recommendations that have suggested in the write-up.

Cervical cancer screening prevalence and its correlates in Cameroon: secondary data analysis of the 2018 demographic and health surveys

BackgroundCervical cancer, although preventable, is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, and the second most common and deadliest gynaecological cancer in low-and-middle-income countries. Screening is key to the prevention and early detection of the disease for treatment. A few studies estimated the prevalence of cervical cancer screening and its correlates in Cameroon but relied on data that were limited to certain regions of the country. Therefore, this study sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of cervical cancer screening among Cameroonian women using current data that is nationally representative of reproductive-age women.MethodsWe used secondary data from the 2018 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey. Summary statistics were used for the sample description. We employed the Firth logistic regression using the “firthlogit” command in STATA-14 to perform the bivariate analyses between the outcome variable and each of the explanatory variables. Given that all the explanatory variables were statistically significant correlates, they were all adjusted for in a multivariable analysis. All analyses were performed in STATA version 14.ResultsThe proportion of Cameroonian women who have ever screened for cervical cancer continue to remain low at approximately 4%. In the adjusted model, women with the following sociodemographic characteristics have a higher likelihood of undergoing cervical cancer screening: ever undergone HIV screening (AOR = 4.446, 95% CI: 2.475, 7.986), being 24–34 years (AOR = 2.233, 95% CI: 1.606, 3.103) or 35–44 years (AOR = 4.008, 95% CI: 2.840, 5.657) or at least 45 years old (AOR = 5.895, 95% CI: 3.957, 8.784), having attained a post-secondary education (AOR = 1.849, 95% CI: 1.032, 3.315), currently (AOR = 1.551, 95% CI: 1.177, 2.043) or previously married (AOR = 1.572, 95% CI: 1.073, 2.302), dwelling in the richest household (AOR = 4.139, 95% CI: 1.769, 9.682), and residing in an urban area (AOR = 1.403, 95% CI: 1.004,1.960). Except for the North-West region, residing in some five regions, compared to Yaounde, was negatively associated with cervical cancer screening.ConclusionCervical cancer screening programs and policies should target Cameroonian women who are younger, less educated, and those in poor households and rural areas.

Utilization of Deworming Drugs and Its Individual and Community Level Predictors among Pregnant Married Women in Cameroon: A Multilevel Modeling.

Background Although deworming pregnant women is one of the strategies to reduce parasites (roundworms and hookworms) causing anemia and related perinatal and maternal complications, utilization of deworming medication among pregnant women in Cameroon is suboptimal. Comprehensive assessment of individual, household (including women's autonomy), and community-level factors associated with utilization of deworming medication has not been done so far. Therefore, we investigated the individual/household and community-level factors associated with deworming among pregnant married women in Cameroon. Methods Our study was limited to pregnant women because they have a greater risk due to increased chances of anemia. We used data from the 2018/19 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey. Analysis on 5,013 pregnant married women was carried out using multilevel logistic regression. Odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported. Results Our findings showed that about 29.8% of pregnant married women received deworming medications. The individual/household level predictors of deworming medications utilization identified in this study were women's educational level, wealth quintile, and skilled antenatal care. Distance to health facility and region were identified as community-level predictors of deworming medications utilization. Higher odds of receiving deworming medication occurred among educated and wealthier pregnant married women as well as among pregnant married women who had skilled antenatal care or lived in the south region, whereas lower odds were observed among pregnant married women living in the north region. Conclusion Access to education and economic empowerment of pregnant married women in remote areas and the north region should be the primary focus of the Cameroon government to enhance deworming coverage in the country.

Kamerun ve Türkiye’de Kadınların Sosyal Yaşama Katılım Gelişiminin Karşılaştırmalı Analizi

Women’s rights and gender equality are current and vital problems in the world which still need a solid and sustainable solution. This comparative analysis, which at first glance may seem questionable, intends to compare two vastly different countries. Important differences exist between the two nations. One is a member of NATO, a developed great world economic power, a member to G20, and is the first power in the Middle East to have its major economic city, Istanbul, among the most visited destinations around the world. The other nation is the main force in the central African region, a developing country that is currently struggling with this process as it attempts to emerge into the developed world by 2035. At first glance, this comparison seems difficult and it is precisely this difficulty that is orienting this study around a specific factor and actor in the development process of these countries: the social status of Turkish and Cameroonian women. Driving this research is an innovative comparison designed to outline the converging and diverging realities of these nations

Ameliorative effects of the aqueous extract of Khaya anthotheca (Welw.) C.DC (Meliaceae) in vanadium induced anxiety, memory loss and pathologies in the brain and ovary of mice

Ethnopharmacological relevanceEthnobotanical enquiries have revealed that Khaya anthotheca (Welw.) C.DC (Meliaceae) has anxiolytic properties and is used to alleviate vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women in Cameroon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ameliorative effects of the aqueous extract of K. anthotheca in vanadium induced anxiety, memory loss and pathologies in the brain and ovary of mice. Material and methodsForty neonatal female mice were used in this study. All animals received vanadium (3 mg/kg BW/72 h, by lactation and i.p.) for 20 weeks except the Control group. At 16 weeks old, mice were divided into 5 groups (n = 8): Control group received distilled water; V-group received vanadium (V) (3 mg/kg BW every 72 h i.p.), V + Vit E group received vitamin E (500 mg/kg BW/72 h) and vanadium (V) (3 mg/kg BW/72 h i.p, simultaneously). V + KA 125 and V + KA 250 groups received K. anthotheca extract at the doses of 125 and 250 mg/kg BW/day respectively and vanadium (V) (3 mg/kg BW/72 h i.p, simultaneously).The treatment was done per os at 10 mL/kg of volume of administration for 4 weeks. To evalute anxiolytic effects and spatial working memory improved by the extract in mice, the elevated open space test and Y maze test were used respectively. After sacrifice, brains were harvested and pathologies were assessed using cresyl violet stainning and immunohistochemistry (GFAP, Iba-1 and MBP), while pathologies in the ovaries were assessed using immunohistochemistry (Collagen type 1) and H&E stainning. ResultsResults in the three sessions of elevated open space test showed that vanadium exposure resulted in a significant (p < 0.05; p < 0.01) increase of the latency of first entry in the slopes and a significant (p < 0.05; p < 0.01; p < 0.001) decrease of the time spent and number of entries in the slopes however, Khaya anthotheca treatment induced a significant (p < 0.05; p < 0.01) decrease of the latency of first entry in the slopes and a significant (p < 0.05; p < 0.01) increase of the time spent and number of entries in the slopes. In the Y maze test, vanadium exposure resulted in a significant decrease (p < 0.01) in the percentage of correct alternation, K. anthotheca extract at the dose of 250 mg/kg BW however induced a significant (p < 0.05) increase of this percentage of correct spontaneous alternation. In the brain, degeneration induced by vanadium exposure was marked by an increase of GFAP-immunoreactive cells, microgliosis and demyelination. The treatment with Khaya anthotheca extract at the dose of 250 mg/kg BW resulted in the preservation of cellular integrity in the same anatomical regions with reduced astroglial and microglial activation and prevented demyelination. In addition, vanadium exposure decreased Collagen type 1 expression in the ovaries and induced a deterioration of tertiary follicle. Khaya anthotheca treatment at the dose of 250 mg/kg BW induced an increase of expression of Collagen type 1 and alleviated deterioration of the microarchitecture of tertiary follicle induced by vanadium. ConclusionThese effects induced by K. anthotheca extract could justify the traditional use of this plant in Cameroonian traditional medicine to manage anxiety. Therefore, to minimise vanadium induced toxicity, the plant should be given more emphasis as a candidate in developing a modern phytodrug.