Nformi Sonde Kinsai
23 November 2008
Some 61 184 Cameroonians have received home-based malaria treatment in one month, the Permanent Secretary of the Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria, CCAM, Dr. Prospère Ndong à Bessong has declared.
Dr. Ndong made the disclosure in Yaounde during the monthly press club organised by the Cameroon Media Against Malaria, CAMAM, November 7.While noting that it was barely a month that the Minister of Public Health launched the home-based treatment of malaria, Dr. Ndong said the results from some provinces were very encouraging.
He stated for example that as of the first week of November, 24 773 people received home based malaria treatment in the Far North, 18 819 in the North and 5 655 in the West Provinces.
Dr. Ndong anticipates that the number of those treated would improve in future, as he cited the East and Southwest Provinces to be the least with the total number of people treated so far.
He attributes the high figures in the Northern Provinces to the dynamism of the workers and partly because a greater part of the population hardly go to the hospital.Dr. Ndong noted that drugs in the kit for home based malaria treatment is provided by the national drug distribution centre known by its French acronym as CENAME. He said the drugs sold at subsidised prices ranges from FCFA 140 to FCFA 400.
He said the 15000 community workers deployed since October to carry out the project are also charged with identifying malaria cases, sensitising, administering treatment, doing follow up and orientating serious cases to appropriate health services. Most of the 15000 workers, The Post gathered, are people already involved in other health projects such as the fight against river blindness, malnutrition, etc.
On the importance of the project, Ndong stated that 21 percent of children, less than five years, suspected of malaria receive home treatment within the first 24 hours before moving to the hospital.
He regretted that out of this figure, only about three percent of the cases are correctly treated while some 20 to 30 percent eventually go to hospital.He attributed the poor treatment to financial difficulties, reliance on traditional medical practitioners and insufficient health systems. Dr. Ndong said the project is in line with WHO recommendations.
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