BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM
The provision comes to optimize the country’s resources already being utilised in the fight against coronavirus.WHO representative in Cameroon Dr Phanuel Habimana, received 4.2 tons of medical equipment at the international airport in Yaounde and then handed these to state officials in Cameroon represented from the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Justice and the United Nations Dispensary.
This is the subject of a press release issued May 8, by World Health Organisation WHO-Cameroon.
The gifts worth 550, 000, 000 FCFA include:
-4.2 tons of medical equipment made up of masks, disinfectants, gloves and thermo-flashes.
-80,000 tools and communication media and 35 vehicles
The equipment destined for these areas are earmarked to meet medical needs for easy deployment of teams, case managementa and rapid interventions in the field (investigation of cases, sampling of suspected cases of COVID-,19, disinfection of homes of confirmed cases)
It would help to facilitate the deployment of rapid response teams in the community in affected regions, so that they can proceed as quickly and efficiently as possible with the investigation of cases, the collection and prompt delivery of samples to the laboratory, and the disinfection of the homes of confirmed cases and other contaminated or at-riski sites.
The donation from WHO also brought to light experts from the UN’s arm deployed for a period of three months to assist Cameroon to kick out coronavirus. It was revealed that WHO’s human input in Cameroon in the course of the pandemic. There are;
39 experts among them four International and 35
national (the national personnel are 24 epidemiologists, four experts in infection prevention and control, 1 Case Management Expert, 1 Geolocation Expert, 1 Pharmacist, 2 Communication Experts and 2 Data Managers.
The deployed experts trained more than 2,000 health personnel on the prevention and control of infections in hospitals, the care of persons with COVID-19 and risk communication ; this has helpedt to improve reception and care in their health facilities.
Within the framework of risk communication, community engagement and community-baseds surveillance 3,000 trusted influencers have been mobilized through information and advocacys sessions for their involvement in response to COVID-19. To date, there is a vast network of community actors who have organized themselves in their communities and are participating inb breakingthe chain of transmission of the disease.
In addition to these trusted influencers, the WHO Representation Office in Cameroon has deployed 1,080 community health workers for almost a month now for community sensitization, the reporting of COVID-19 case alerts and the follow-up of contact persons in the cities of Yaoundé, Douala and Bafoussam. More than 80,000 communication tools and materials (posters, leaflets, brochures) have been produced and distributed in all regions of the country.
The press release noted that WHO by the action is renewing its commitment to continue to provide technical and financial support to the Government of Cameroon until the final interruption of the spread of the pandemic to COVID-19.
