Discoveries to change lives

The Centre for Schistosomiasis and Parasitology (CSP) is a leading research institution dedicated to the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases in Cameroon..

Elimination paradigm

SCHISTOSOMIASIS AND STH WEEK IN CAMEROON

Under the patronage of the Minister of Health, the National Programme for the Control of Schistosomiasis and STH in conjunction with the COUNTDOWN project and other collaborators, is organising a Schistosomiasis and STH Week in Cameroon.

This unprecedented event will bring together policy makers, NTD partners, researchers from both the national and international NTD community as they gather to discuss the key progress made in the fight against shcistosomiasis and STH.

This event is very timely with the current paradigm shift, as Cameroon also tries to move towards the elimination of schistosomiasis. For more information on this event

10 - 14 June 2019, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Partnership

Delegation from Sightsavers and NALA Foundation visit the Centre for Schistosomiasis and Parasitology

We were pleased to welcome to the centre, G. Woods, J. Oye, M. Engels, and S. Akongo from Sightsavers together with D. Turgeman, and B. Katzir, from the NALA Foundation who were received by our Director, Prof Louis-Albert Tchuem Tchuenté.

During their interaction, they were able to further discuss on opportunities around conducting WASH(Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and behaviour change.

By increasing the momentum around these interventions, we augment the efforts geared towards control and elimination of schistosomiasis and STH in Cameroon.

29 March 2019, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Partnership

COUNTDOWN Annual Partners' Meeting 2019

The COUNTDOWN Consortium convened in Monrovia, Liberia for the 5th Annual Partners' Meeting. Colleagues in Cameroon, joined consortium members from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, LSTM and FHI360 for the 3-day meeting which offered opportunity for members of partner countries to discuss current status, and findings from the in-country multi-disciplinary research projects around neglected tropical diseases.

he key impact of these findings on programme delivery and health systems strengthening were highlighted, in addition to the challenges faced and lessons learnt during the course of conducting the multi-disciplinary research. A selection of posters were displayed which presented the impact of research findings, highlighting key topics such as stakeholder engagement, improved affordability and cost-effectiveness of NTD interventions; and improved availability and acceptability of interventions.

26 - 28 March 2019, Monrovia, Liberia

Partnership

COUNTDOWN Social Science Writing Workshop

The COUNTDOWN Social Science team held a writing workshop ahead of the Annual Partners' Meeting hosted in Liberia.

This writing workshop brought together 7 team members from Nigeria, Cameroon and Liberia and was facilitated by Dr Kim Ozano and Laura Dean, colleagues from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

It enabled colleagues to draft policy briefs and papers from the research undertaken in partner countries

21 - 25 March 2019, Monrovia, Liberia

Meeting

2019 National Neglected Tropical Diseases Meeting

A three-day workshop was organised in the sea-side town of Kribi, in the Littoral Region which brought together national and regional NTDs teams.

This interactive workshop allowed for government and non-governmental development organisations to review the 2018 achievements around neglected tropical diseases, as they plan the 2019 activities for the control and elimination of these NTDs.

12 - 14 March 2019, Kribi, South Region

Research

COUNTDOWN Multidisciplinary Workshop for Data Analysis

Our teams in Buea and Yaoundé met together in Douala where they partook in a multidisciplinary team working session.

The teams welcomed colleagues, Dr Joseph Turner and Helen Piotrowski from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine who joined them in conducting cross discipline analysis of data collected from epidemiology,social science, parasitology and entomology research.

In so doing, there was a better understanding of the acceptability of Ivermectin and the implications of alternative onchocerciasis treatment with doxycycline on communities concerned. A great output of this workshop was the team's first interdisciplinary paper, around onchocerciasis treatment

27 February - 1 March 2019, Douala, Littoral Region

Campaign

Launch of the 2019 National Deworming Campaign

The Official launch of the 2019 National Deworming Campaign was done at the Government Bilingual Primary School Njombe Penja, in the Littoral Region. This monumental event was presided by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Health, Alim HAYATOU and the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Basic Education, Dr KILO Vivian ASHERI. The active participation of partners such as the World Health Organisation and other non-governmental development organisations at the launch, demonstrated their high-level commitment to the government's fight against Schistosomiasis and Intestinal Helminthiasis. The National Program for the Control of Schistosomiasis and STH organises these school-based deworming as they are recognised as the most safe, simple and cost-effective solution to controlling these malaises in school-age children, who typically have the highest burden of worm infection.

25 January 2019, Njombe Penja, Littoral Region

Capacity Building

COUNTDOWN Social Science Workshop

As the COUNTDOWN project enters its fifth year, our multidisciplinary teams are focusing on consolidating and analysing research data. In line with their plans research activities for this new year, the Social Science team organised a week-long working session during which they collaborated with their colleague, Dr Kim Ozana from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. The progress made from the applied social science research on shcistosomiasis was evident as the team developed thematic areas, which will guide future publications in line with our strategic research uptake plans.

14 - 18 January 2019, Yaoundé, Centre Region

Capacity Building

Preparatory Meeting for the 2019 National Deworming Campaign

The National Programme for the Control of Schistosomiasis and STH organised a working session at the Ministry of Public Health, in preparation for the 2019 National Deworming Campaign. This meeting which was chaired by the Minister of Public Health brought together key stakeholders such as the Minister of Basic Education and partners engaged in the fight against neglected tropical diseases in Cameroon some of which included Sightsavers, Good Neighbours and Perspective. Prof Tchuem Tchuenté, Program Manager updated participants on the status of schistosomiasis and STH prevalence in the country as STH and schistosomiasis are still significant public health issues.. In order to combat this issue the control program is committed to annually deworming all school-age children (5 - 14years) in all 10 regions of the country.

18 December 2018, Yaoundé, Centre Region

Institutional Life

8th Meeting of the National Committee for the Control of Schistosomiasis and STH

The National Committee for the Control of Schistosomiasis and STH held its 8th committee meeting at the Ministry of Public Health this Wednesday. Chairing the meeting was the President of the committee, Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda alongside Mrs Youssouf Hadidja Alim, Minister of Basic Education and Vice President of the committee. In presence was the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Public Health, representatives from the World Health Organisation and Good Neighbour and other developmental partners and collaborators of the Ministry of Public Health. The Minister of Public Health welcomed all partners and collaborators while expressing his appreciation for all efforts and continues commitment. The Program Coordinator reiterated the recommendation of the 7th meeting, illustrating how they have been met. he Minister of Health, Minister of Basic Education and WHO representative all agreed that there is a need for training health professions and further health education and sensitisation especially for children, using the cartoon "Bambo has Bilharzia", developed by the WHO.

25 July 2018, Yaoundé, Centre Region

Institutional Life

Using GPS Logging Devices to track water contact of schistosomiasis at risk-groups in Barombi Kotto, Cameroon

COUNTDOWN is investigating best ways to expand interventions to ensure all those vulnerable to schistosomiasis have access to Praziquantel treatment. In so doing, these efforts will require governments, researchers and health stakeholders to gather evidence and, where the need arises, revise existing strategies of control to address these needs.In Cameroon for example, the government is committed to controlling schistosomiasis through an annual deworming campaign of school-aged children (SAC) organised by the National Programme for the Control of Schistosomiasis and Soil-transmitted Helminthiasis. However, other groups in the community such as pre-school aged children (PSAC), out-of-school children (OoSC), and adults who are not targeted can often contribute to the re-transmission cycle of schistosomiasis especially in persistent hotspot areas such as Barombi Kotto in the South West Region of Cameroon. This is because

19 July 2018, Barombi Kotto, South West

Partnership

President and Vice President of ICOPA 2018 along with Korean Delegation visit the SCH and STH Control Program

The National Coordinator and personnel at the control program were pleased to welcome Pr Jong-Yil Chai, President of the 2018 International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA 2018) and Korea Association of Health, Pr Keeseon S Eom, Vice President of ICOPA 2018, HooGN Jeoung, Director General of MEDIcheck as well as Good Neighbours officials - Jae Young Lee, Ah Rah Cho and Yoo Sun Chon. It was a very productive meeting as they discussed how to intensity control efforts for schistosomiasis and STH control in Cameroon, through the implementation of a control project. The Program Coordinator, Prof Tchuem Tchuenté led the Korean delegation to schistosomiasis transmission sites which allowed for a better understanding of the transmission dynamics so as to develop and optimise interventions for the elimination of schistosomiasis.

05 - 08 July Yaoundé, Centre Region

Partnership

The SCH and STH Control Program welcomes delegation from Good Neighbours

The National Coordinator and personnel at the SCH and STH control program were pleased to welcome the Good Neighbors Project Manager in Cameroon, YooSun Chon who was accompanied by the Country Director, Ah Rah Cho.

Good Neighbors is an international humanitarian and development non-governmental organisation and one of the largest in South Korea. One of its missions in Cameroon is centred around improving lives through WASH(Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) education especially in regards to schistosomiasis and STH control.

17 May 2018, Yaoundé, Centre Region

Partnership

COUNTDOWN Social Science Teams in Buea and Yaoundé welcome Dr Kim Ozano, LSTM as analysis of data intensifies

As the COUNTDOWN project nears the end of the first half of Year 4, focus is geared towards data management and analysis. The Social Science teams in Buea and Yaoundé have welcomed their colleague Dr Kim Ozano from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, for a two week work visit. During this visit which comprises a working session first with the team in Buea followed by one with the team in Yaoundé, Dr Kim joins both teams in reviewing progress made thus far in planned research activities. She will support the social science research assistants in properly organising and analysing their data by use of Nvivo. In the South West Region, the Social Science team which is based in Buea and led by Dr Theobald Nji focuses around assessing the acceptability, accessibility and availability of Doxycycline. This drug is being tested as an alternative treatment strategy used to tackle onchocerciasis.

14 - 25 May 2018, South West and Centre Region

impact survey

Schistosomiasis and STH Impact Surveys conclude in the East and South West Region as summer holidays approach

As schools prepare to close for the summer holidays, the field team intensified efforts to complete SCH and STH impact surveys in health districts in both the East and South West Regions of Cameroon. These surveys were conducted over a two week period with sample collection beginning first in the East region where 4 health districts - Bertoua, Ndebele, Kette and Doume were sampled. During the second week, the field team travelled to the South West Region, in which samples were collected from 4 health districts -Buea, Tiko, Muyuka and Kumba. The timely success of these surveys in both regions was due in part to the effective involvement of the Regional NTD Coordinators and Inspectors of Basic Education, not forgetting School Directors who assisted the parasitological team in collecting samples from their respective schools in hard to reach areas.

06 - 19 May 2018, East and South West Region

Partnership

Delegation from NALA Foundation and Sightsavers visit the National Program for the Control of Schistosomiasis and STH

Today, the Coordinator and staff at the control program were pleased to welcome Naomi Caplan and Ben Katzir from the NALA Foundation, accompanied by Dr Oye, Sightsavers Cameroon country Director and Serge Akongo. The NALA - NTDs, Advocacy, Learning and Action - Foundation works to break the poverty cycle of communities around the world by eradicating neglected tropical diseases and other diseases of poverty. Sightsavers along with other civil societies are already actively working with the control program and Cameroon government to alleviate the burden of NTDs in the country. During this visit, the delegation from the NALA foundation discussed opportunities for the foundation to support schistosomiasis and STH control and elimination in Cameroon

24 April 2018, Yaoundé, Centre Region

Community Engagement

The North West Region engages in Schistosomiasis and STH Impact Surveys

Up next on the list of regions targeted for the SCH and STH Impacts surveys was the North West, in which three Health districts - Ako, Kumbo East and Ndu were sampled. The North West Region is one of two regions in Cameroon currently affected by some political crisis which have led to insecurity issues. For this reason, the procedure for sample collection in schools differed from that in the previous regions. Those at the forefront of sample collection were school directors who acted as sample collectors in their respective schools while the parasitological team and lab technicians from CSP proceeded with sample preparation and analysis as per their expertise. Prior to commencement of sample collection, the school directors gathered at Ndu Health District where the Regional NTD Coordinator, NW Region alongside representatives from the CSP briefed and trained them on the appropriate sample collection methodology. This involvement from actors from the Ministry of Basic Education reiterates the commitment across sectors, in this fight against NTDs as no one player is sufficient.

17 - 22 April 2018, North West Region

impact survey

Schistosomiasis and STH Impact Surveys in the Littoral Region

Having concluded with the SCH and STH impact surveys in the West Region, the CSP team proceeded with surveys in the Littoral Region where 4 health districts – Loum, Edea, Njombe Penja and Melong were surveyed.

The procedure in the region was no different to that in the West Region, with active involvement from actors across ministries – Ministry of Health and Ministry of Basic Education - at regional, district and community levels.

18 – 27 March 2018, Littoral Region