Cholera Outbreak Spreads in Cameroon as Cases Top 1,000

Photo taken on September 6, 2010: Health workers spray a chlorine solution intended to eliminate the bacteria that causes cholera in Ganjuwa, in Nigeria’s rural Bauchi State.

Cholera epidemic

A cholera outbreak is spreading across northern Cameroon, with more than 1,000 cases and 28 deaths reported since mid-July, according to health authorities.

At Mora District Hospital, medical staff are taking precautions as suspected and confirmed patients arrive. Amine Ozong Kavaye, general supervisor at the Mora treatment centre, said the facility received its first case on the 18th — a three-year-old child from Aïssa.

The centre has recorded 25 cases so far, including nine negative rapid diagnostic tests and one death. Staff are currently treating two hospitalized patients and receiving an average of one to two patients each day.

The response is being coordinated across the districts of Fotokol, Mada, Makary and Kolofata, with support from Doctors Without Borders.

At Mora, three tents have been set up to separate suspected cases from hospitalized patients. Patients are tested before being transferred for treatment if they test positive.

Meanwhile, community health workers are conducting door-to-door awareness campaigns, urging residents to avoid open defecation and improve hygiene and sanitation.

Health officials are particularly concerned about the region’s limited access to clean drinking water and poor sanitation, and are racing to contain the outbreak before the rainy season intensifies.