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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Anthropometry measures and prevalence of obesity in the urban adult population of Cameroon: an update from the Cameroon Burden of Diabetes Baseline Survey.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to provide baseline and reference data on the prevalence and distribution of overweight and obesity, using different anthropometric measurements in adult urban populations in Cameroon. METHODS: The Cameroon Burden of Diabetes Baseline Survey was a cross-sectional study, conducted in 4 urban districts (Yaoundé, Douala, Garoua and Bamenda) of Cameroon, using the WHO Step approach for population-based assessment of cardiovascular risk factors. Body mass index, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were measured using standardized methods. Overall, 10,011 individuals, 6,004 women and 4,007 men, from 4,189 households, aged 15 years and above participated. RESULTS: Based on body mass index, more than 25% of urban men and almost half of urban women were either overweight or obese with 6.5% of men and 19.5% of women being obese. The prevalence of obesity showed considerable variation with age in both genders. Using body mass index provided the highest prevalence of obesity in men (6.5%) and waist-to-hip ratio the lowest prevalence (3.2%). Among women, using waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference yielded the highest prevalence of obesity (28%) and body mass index the lowest (19.5%). There was a trend towards an increase in age-adjusted odd ratios of being overweight or obese with duration of education in both sexes. CONCLUSION: The study provides current data on anthropometric measurements and obesity in urban Cameroonian populations, and found high prevalences of overweight and obesity particularly over 35 years of age, and among women. Prevalence varied according to the measure used. Our findings highlight the need to carry out further studies in Cameroonian and other Sub-Saharan African populations to provide appropriate cut-off points for the identification of people at risk of obesity-related disorders, and indicate the need to implement interventions to reverse increasing levels of obesity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Molecular epidemiology of malaria in Cameroon. XI. Geographic distribution of Plasmodium falciparum isolates with dihydrofolate reductase gene mutations in southern and central Cameroon.

The DNA sequence of the dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) gene, a molecular marker for pyrimethamine resistance, was determined for 178 field isolates of Plasmodium falciparum collected along the east-west axis in southern Cameroon. The proportion of isolates having the wild-type dhfr allele varied from 48.1% in the east (city of Bertoua) to 11.3-15.7% in central provinces (Yaounde and Eseka) and 0% in the littoral region (port city of Douala). Isolates with a single Asn-108 mutation or double mutations (Ile-51 or Arg-59 and Asn-108) constituted approximately 10% of the samples. Isolates with triple mutations (Ile-51, Arg-59, and Asn-108) were present in an equal proportion (48.1%) as the wild-type isolates in the east (Bertoua), while triple mutations predominated in Yaounde (62.3%), Eseka (62.7%), and Douala (78.9%). The distribution of triple dhfr mutations along the east-west axis in southern Cameroon suggests the presence of a decreasing gradient from the west coastal region to the central region and then to the east towards the interior of the country.

Alleles↗
PubMed1993

[Yellow fever epidemic in the extreme North of Cameroon in 1990: first yellow fever virus isolation in Cameroon].

Some two years ago, suspicious cases of yellow fever (YF) were reported in northern Cameroon. A deadly epidemic broke out during the second half of the rainy season (from 15 September to 22 December 1990) with 180 known cases, of which 125 died. The real figures could have been between 5000 and 20,000 cases with between 500 and 1000 deaths. The affected area was within the yellow fever belt, which is situated around latitude 11 degrees North and 14 degrees East. In this mountainous area (altitude, about 800 m) the rural inhabitants are scattered, with a high density of 200,000 people per 1000 km2. Investigations began at the start of the dry season and a strain of yellow fever virus was isolated for the first time in Cameroon. A study of 107 serum samples (23 families in 11 villages) was carried out by immunofluorescence and ELISA, which showed 20% IgM carriers for yellow fever virus and nothing for the three other flaviviruses, although these were largely present; there were up to 98% crossed reactions in IgG with dengue 2 and West Nile strains. The under-10 age group represented 63% of the IgM carriers. An entomological study was carried out at the same time. It permitted the capture of Aedes aegypti, A. furcifer, A. luteocephalus and the identification of numerous potential larval sites, at times still in the productive phase of A. aegypti which is considered to be the principal vector.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aedes↗
PubMed2006

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Cameroon: experiences from the University Teaching Hospital in Yaounde (Cameroon).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of nevirapine (NVP) in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTVT) of HIV-1 in children in the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital, Cameroon. METHODS: This was a prospective and descriptive hospital-based study in which pre-counselled HIV-infected pregnant women who gave their consent were included. At the onset of labour a single dose of 200 mg oral NVP was administered to each woman. Their newborns were also given 2 mg/kg of oral NVP syrup within 72 hours of their birth. These NVP-treated babies were assessed at 6 weeks, 6 months and between 15 and 18 months for viral load levels, using a branched DNA technology. Viral load levels were classified as undetectable (< 50 copies/ml); intermediate (50-3 500 cp/ml) or high (> 3 500 cp/ml). RESULTS: Of the 350 women screened for HIV 22 (6.3 %) were positive for HIV-1, but only 18 children were duly tested until 18 months. Viral load levels were undetectable at 6 weeks in 61.1 % of the children; intermediate in 38.9 % and no child had a high VL (> 3 500 cp/ml). At 6 months 5 of 7 children with intermediate levels had dropped to undetectable levels. By 15-18 months, a total of 16 children (88.9 %) had undetectable levels while 2 children (11.1 %) with detectable levels were confirmed to be HIV positive using ELISA test and immunoblot analysis. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the rate of HIV-1 MTCT with NVP is about 11 % in CHU Yaounde.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1992

[Visceral leishmaniasis in Cameroon. Report of various cases and clinical study in the region of Kousseri, far-north of Cameroon].

The far-North province of Cameroon is highly infested with cutaneous leishmaniasis. From October 1987 to January 1988, a prospective study was done in this region (specifically in Kousseri) to diagnose cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Out of 120 patients examined, 46 presenting symptoms related to VL were retained. Diagnosis of VL was confirmed serologically and/or through the presence of leishmanias on bone marrow slides from 9 patients. A retrospective study was also carried out in the pediatric and internal medicine units of the university teaching hospital and the Central Hospital in Yaoundé; 3 pediatric cases of VL were found. No significant difference as regards age and sex of these patients was recorded.

Cameroon↗
PubMed1979

[Theater nurse and midwife in Cameroon. Impressions and experiences in the grasslands (Northwest Cameroon) during a six-and-a-half month stay in a hospital situated at a height of 1800 m].

The author describes the circumstances of the hospital and out-of-hospital situation in the region she worked in, in focussing on the relevant practical features of the daily life of patients and staff. She deals among other things with the maternity ward (including the separate "camp" devoted to prenatal stays) and the operating theatre. As regards health activities outside the hospital, she mentions those of the existing health centres and of auxiliary personnel called first-aiders (whose job description is close to the one of the village health workers advocated by WHO and others). A health team, usually led by a physician, makes periodic visits to bush villages. The importance of the contacts thus created, for health work itself (including collaboration with traditional health practitioners) as well as for community development, is underlined.

Cameroon↗
PubMed2000

Chemoresistance of P. falciparum in urban areas of Yaounde, Cameroon. Part 1: Surveillance of in vitro and in vivo resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine from 1994 to 1999 in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Chloroquine is indicated for the first-line treatment of uncomplicated malaria in most African countries. However, the spread of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum requires periodic monitoring. Between 1994 and 1999, we studied the evolution of chloroquine resistance in adults (aged > 15 years) and children aged 5-15 years by using tests of therapeutic efficacy and in vitro assays. Responses to the 14-day in vivo test were classified according to the new criteria established by the World Health Organization. The results of the semi-microtest and the microtest were expressed as the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50), and the threshold level of resistance was set at IC50 > 100 nM. The overall percentages of clinical and parasitological failures were 39.7% (31. 3% - 48.1%) and 48.8% (40.2% - 57.4%), respectively. Similarly, the percentage of isolates that were resistant in vitro was 52.5%. During the study, IC50 geometric mean varied between 84,6 nM and 149, 8 nM. The results of the in vitro assays agreed with those of tests of therapeutic efficacy (kappa coefficient = 0.69). The patients' chloroquine plasma levels were measured on day 0, day 3, day 7, and day 14. Drug measurement showed wide inter-individual variations and higher plasma levels in adults than in children. Some cases of therapeutic failure were associated with inadequate plasma levels of chloroquine. Our results confirm the high level of chloroquine resistance in Yaoundé and suggest that the use of an alternative antimalarial drug for the first-line treatment of uncomplicated malaria is warranted.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Chemoresistance of Plasmodium falciparum in the urban region of Yaounde, Cameroon. Part 2: Evaluation of the efficacy of amodiaquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine combination in the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Yaounde, Cameroon.

The spread of chloroquine resistance or its stabilization at a high level calls for a change in the therapeutic strategy, including a possible replacement of chloroquine. We assessed and compared the efficacy of amodiaquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in Yaoundé. Of 140 adults and children > 5 years enrolled in the study, 59 in the amodiaquine and 58 in the sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine treatment group were followed until day 14. The efficacy of amodiaquine was 100%, whereas 12.1% of the patients treated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine responded with an early treatment failure. Side effects in both treatment groups were mild and did not require any specific treatment. We did in vitro drug assays for monodesethylamodiaquine (active metabolite of amodiaquine) and pyrimethamine and measured plasma levels of monodesethylamodiaquine, sulfadoxine, and pyrimethamine. Unlike amodiaquine, the results of the in vitro drug sensitivity test for pyrimethamine were not concordant with the clinical response. A wide inter-individual variation in the plasma drug levels was observed. Unlike chloroquine, the mean plasma concentrations did not vary with age. There was no significant difference in the plasma concentrations of sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine between patients responding with an adequate clinical response and those responding with treatment failure. Amodiaquine has several advantages over sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine combination and may be considered to be an effective drug in an endemic zone with a moderate level of chloroquine resistance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Visceral leishmaniasis in Cameroon. Seroepidemiologic survey in the Kousseri region, north Cameroon].

A sero-epidemiological survey of school children was carried out in Kousseri, a focus for visceral leishmaniasis. Sero-immunological assays for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies were based on the indirect immunofluorescence assay test and counter-immunoelectrophoresis. 9 out of 223 school children tested positive for visceral leishmaniasis (seroprevalence rate of 4%). These 9 cases had no history of the disease. The data obtained confirm the endemicity of visceral leishmaniasis in this focus and call for extensive studies in order to determine the prevalence of the disease in the entire population as well as the main components of the transmission cycle.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Habitual diet in four populations of African origin: a descriptive paper on nutrient intakes in rural and urban Cameroon, Jamaica and Caribbean migrants in Britain.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing in West Africa, the Caribbean and its migrants to Britain. This trend may be due to the transition in the habitual diet, with increasing (saturated) fat and decreasing fruit and vegetable intakes, both within and between countries. OBJECTIVE: We have tested this hypothesis by comparing habitual diet in four African-origin populations with a similar genetic background at different stages in this transition. DESIGN: The study populations included subjects from rural Cameroon urban Cameroon Jamaica and African-Caribbeans in Manchester, UK all aged 25-74 years. Habitual diet was assessed by a food-frequency questionnaire, specifically developed for each country separately. RESULTS: Total energy intake was greatest in rural Cameroon and lowest in Manchester for all age/sex groups. A tendency towards the same pattern was seen for carbohydrates, protein and total fat intake. Saturated and polyunsaturated fat intake and alcohol intake were highest in rural Cameroon, and lowest in Jamaica, with the intakes in the UK lower than those in urban Cameroon. The percentage of energy from total fat was higher in rural and urban Cameroon than in Jamaica and the UK for all age/sex groups. The opposite was seen for percentage of energy from carbohydrate intake, the intake being highest in Jamaica and lowest in rural Cameroon. The percentage of energy from protein increased gradually from rural Cameroon to the UK. CONCLUSIONS: These results do not support our hypothesis that carbohydrate intake increased, while (saturated) fat intake decreased, from rural Cameroon to the UK.

Adult↗