A mother receiving treatment

19 August 2010: Plan is providing emergency support to communities affected by the worst outbreak of cholera to hit Cameroon in a decade.

At least 220 people have been killed in the Far North Region of the country, with a further 2,850 cases identified so far. This is 1,000 more cases than were reported just 1 week ago.

According to reports, the epidemic has now reached  Maroua, the main city in the region.

Recent floods and limited access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities have fuelled infection rates of the disease, which spreads through contaminated food and water.

Plan action

Plan and partners are on the ground helping communities by:

• providing access to safe drinking water through the construction of wells with hand pumps
• launching local-language hygiene and sanitation awareness-raising campaigns
• training groups of volunteers to disinfect water points and latrines
• providing support and advice on how to identify and deal with suspected cases.
  

Most vulnerable

Stefanie Conrad, Plan’s West Africa regional communications manager, said: “We are very concerned about the rapidly spreading cholera epidemic in Cameroon. The epidemic is hitting one of the most vulnerable areas of the country where 70% of the population have no access to latrines, people are very mobile and continuing rains have caused widespread inundations.

"Our main concern is to support the regional coordination of the response to the epidemic, to reach communities with information on how to prevent the disease and to identify, refer and treat critical cases.”

High alert

Plan Cameroon is also providing financial support to health authorities to purchase and administer antibiotics free of charge. 200 health volunteers have also been trained in partnership with Red Cross, who will work across 310 communities educating them in their local language on effective health and hygience practice. They will also be disinfecting water points.

Both Plan and health authorities remain on high alert as the disease spreads to extremely vulnerable indigenous communities with no form of sanitation.

Plan in Cameroon still needs an additional 200,000US$ to support its Cholera response work. Please make a difference and donate today.

Find out more about Plan’s work in Cameroon