The volunteers instruct communities in their local language how to fight the epidemic

200 volunteers have been trained by Plan, the Red Cross and regional health authorities and are now on the ground helping communities fight the cholera epidemic in Cameroon.

To date, 17 of the 28 districts in the Far North region and 6 districts of the North region in the country have been hit by the deadly infection.

Spread out over 310 communities in the areas of Mokolo, Koza, Mogode, Soulede, Roua, Bourha and Hina, the trained men and women instruct people in the local language on adequate hygiene, the causes of the infection and how to prevent it.

Superstition

Abdou, one of the volunteers, said: “The religious leader in my village told everyone to stay away from the field because of the risk of getting cholera. No one has gone to the field for 2 weeks. My neighbour and his whole family have died because of cholera.”

Superstition is taking hold in communities who have stopped attributing the increasing number of deaths to cholera. Maïrama, who leads a group of 3 volunteers, said: “the hardest thing at the moment is stopping people in the area from being so sceptical. For example, they believe that if you’re not a sorcerer, cholera can’t get you, and so it only affects sorcerers.”

Adama is one of the volunteers, and also leads a group of 3 others in the fight against the infection

Hygiene measures

But the training sessions have removed any doubts the volunteers may have had and have enabled them to educate people on the cause of the illness.

They have also learnt the most important things to do to prevent spread of infection: stop defecating in the open, use latrines, wash hands with soap and boil all water before use.

Plan in action

Plan staff have also been distributing disinfectant, raising awareness and advising women not to use the rivers in their housework to ensure that children, who make up 40% of the population in Cameroon, are protected.

Christophe Mvogo, Director of Plan’s Maroua Programme Unit, said: It’s important to increase awareness raising in communities with the highest death rates. People need to have immediate access to hygiene, disinfected water points and existing latrines to avoid getting infected.”

Cholera is a serious issue which has hit several communities in the region and is spread by a lack of hygiene infrastructure, such as safe drinking water and latrines. With more than 300 deaths so far and a mortality rate of 7.7 %, this outbreak is one of the worst Cameroon has seen in decades.

Plan in Cameroon still needs 200,000US$ to continue its emergency response to the cholera epidemic. Please support our vital work by donating today.