University of Yaoundé I launches a malaria project in Ntouessong
24 September 2008
By Akere-Maimo J. Ano-Ebie
On Thursday afternoon, 18 September 2008, Prof Rose Leke and her research team were in Ntouessong, a satellite village in Soa sub-division of Yaounde. They came in convoy to sensitise the people of this community and officially launch activities for a community-based malaria project (IPT). To accompany them were the Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) and Mayor of Soa, representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, the National Malaria Control Programme and the Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria. They were warmly received by the villagers, the village head and his notables.
The former Minister of Public Health, Prof Mbede, who happens to hail from Ntouessong facilitated the visit. In his position as one of the respectable elite of this community, Prof Mbede was glad to welcome the delegation and grateful that they took interest to work in the Ntouessong Integrated Health Unit. He explained in the local dialect to some of villagers who understood neither French nor English, the mission of the research team and the kind of work they would be doing in Ntouessong Integrated Health Unit for the coming months.
To throw more light on what her research team would be doing; Prof Rose Leke explained that the project is a joined initiative of the University of Yaounde I and the University of Hawaii in the USA. The project is aimed at knowing how pregnant women and children living in malaria endemic zones respond to malaria and develop immunity to infections. It targets mostly the vulnerable population: pregnant women and children below five. Most of the work would be in the villages where cases of child deaths and morbidity related to malaria are widespread; and where there is high susceptibility for pregnant women to contract malaria associated with anaemia, low weight and birth, miscarriage, premature births and stillbirths.
Thanks to the project, the villagers would benefit from malaria screening, medication, availability of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) and how to use them. A gynaecologists and paediatricians and members of the research team, will be consulting in the health centre. The data collected during the research and results provided would also go a long way to better the health needs of the community.
Some of the villagers expressed the worry on the availability of medication and LLINs. Though community relays exist, there is a problem of communication as the villagers are not informed on where and from whom to get medication whenever they are sick. Prof Rose Leke, however, promised that her research team is ready to work with the existing community relays and that LLINs would soon be made available in each household thanks to the HIPC and Global Funds.
The SDO for Ntouessong officially launched the malaria project at the end of the meeting, calling on all and sundry to join in the fight against malaria. He advised the villagers to guard against rumours that “such initiatives are out to exploit the masses and enrich state officials…the research is rather to look for better ways to eradicate the malaria endemic”. As for Goudmpi Florent, Chief of the Ntouessong Integrated Health Unit, he is happy that the project would help improve the health of the population of his village by reducing child death and morbidity related to malaria in the population.
