Introduction.

GeoAid Cameroon, working in collaboration with the Cameroon government decided to carry out activities as part of the International Labor Day celebrations May 1st 2010. On the 29th to the 30th of this month, GeoAid solicited the work of Care Help Cameroon (CHC) a non-governmental Organization to intervene in the health of the Lomie, Messok and Ngoyla people. This health campaign which took place at the Lomie District hospital was aimed at solving the various ocular and dental problems faced by the people of that zone. Free HIV screening test was also offered to volunteers in that area. The eight medical personnel from care Help were assisted by nurses from the Lomie district hospital so that a wide population was reached within those two days.

The Care Help Cameroon team was made up of eight medical staff specialized in rural diseases, among whom was a

dentist, an ophthalmologist, an auxiliary pharmacist, a technician, an optician, specialists in HIV/AIDS and some assistants had as objective to sensitize, build capacities of nurses, consult and teat people which ocular and dental problems, and carry out voluntary HIV AIDS screening test through a community management strategy set by GeoAid. Through this initiative which had as slogan “TOGETHER FOR THE PROMOTION OF HEALTH,” GeoAid joined hands with local authorities, and other partners in development to fight against blindness and oral diseases.

Baka lady (middle) going for dental consultation.

Activities during the campaign: Preliminary activities like negotiating and signing of the contract with this medical staff and sensitization of the people of Lomie, Messok and Ngoyla had been carried out long before the D-D

ay. On the 29th of April, activities started at around 10.am with health talks on ocular and dental hygiene.  Educative talks on hypertension and HIV/AIDS were also given. After this first phase, consultation and treatment in eye, dentistry, voluntary HIV/AIDS screening tests, distribution of medication after consultation and treatment, advice on the use of optical glasses, distribution on booklets on eye care and methods to reduce hypertension started in different sections. Everything was well organized as some nurses of the Lomie district hospital as well as the GeoAid staff Helena Nsamenka, Georgette Che, Octave Ondoua with their Executive Director Mr. William Mitchell ensured the success of the program.

Educative talks during campaign                                     

Results and statistics of campaign:

From the work done, a total of 528 people benefitted from this free treatment campaign. 112 people were treated from dental problems (22% of them were men, 36% women and 42% young people). 373 people were treated for ocular diseases (18% young people, 39% women, 43% men), and 43 people went in for the voluntary HIV AIDS screening test. Out of the 43, 2 people, 1 man and 1 woman were diagnosed to be HIV positive. The percentage was 96.96 seronegative, 2.2% seropositive men a

nd 2.2% seropositive women.

From the cases encountered it could be said that problems in dentistry were considered very serious in the Lomie zone and its environs. These problems are caused by poverty and also the fact that dental clinics are situated in Abong- Mbang which is about 160 km away from Lomie. Among the predominant diseases diagnosed in dentistry the most recurrent are caries, diseases in gums and extraction cases.

  Dental extraction.

Ophthalmology was considered a myth in the Lomie zone and its environs and the joint action of GeoAid and Care Help Cameroon demystified this myth. Cataract was one of the predominant eye diseases in this zone as 25% of people were diagnosed to suffer from cataract.

Eye surgery during campaign.

The joint efforts of Care Help Cameroon and GeoAid were out to remove the stigmatization known of HIV and AIDS. Through these efforts 43 people were diagnosed among whom two were seropositive.

Positive impact of this campaign by participants/ communities in the social cultural and economic domain:

Due to the relevance and success of this campaign, the following benefits were achieved.

Social Domain: The communities acquired basic notions which will enable them to better carry out their duties in the process of community health development. Through this campaign, it is envisaged that the communities will become actors in the fight against auto medication. Conflicts linked with ophthalmology, dentistry, hypertension and AIDS will be better handled and consequently reduced. Also, there will now be free dialogue between the communities and local and public administrations concerning health matters.

In the cultural domain, this consultation campaign was a means to educate and prevent the population from diseases. The activities and general value of villages of different tribal groups participating together with their leaders in the campaign shows a great common humanity.  The  use of quality medical practices and materials will go a long way to help build the confidence  of the entire population.

In the economic domain, this rational, transparent and rigorous method of health will help to ameliorate the living conditions of the population of Lomie and its environs. Early intervention like this will reduce the seriousness  and expense of potential hospitalization.  The investment of Geovic in GeoAid’s health program has balanced modest costs as well as effectively  reducing the burden of health care on poor families in the communities.

Generally, the reduction of blindness and dental diseases will in a long term help to reduce death rate. HIV AIDS will be reduced through the sensitization and the practice of auto medication will be reduced as patients will now be encouraged to visit health cen

ters.

Donation of crutches:  As part of these health activities, GeoAid Cameroon donated some crutches to some handicaps in the Lomie zone. About 30 handicaps in the Lomie, Messok and Ngoyla zones were sensitized about this donation but because of heavy rains on that day only 8 of them could make it at the Lomie District hospital to receive this free gift. The handicaps were very glad with this gesture. The rest of the crutches will be delivered to the handicaps who could not make it on that day.

  Handicaps receiving crutches.

Recommendations:

This recommendation goes in line with a letter received from the chiefs of Messok and Ngoyla calling on GeoAid to carry out this campaign in the Lomie and Messok territory giving the fact that these people have a lot of health complications especially ocular diseases.

- Methods of follow up in dental problems should also be established in the communities.

Conclusion:

   The health campaign organized at the Lomie District hospital as part of May Day Activities was a great success giving the fact that neither accident nor incident was registered. The entire population especially the authorities of that zone expressed their gratitude to GeoAid for such an initiative.  They testified that a few of such important initiatives had been registered in that zone. Through this activity carried out, the socio-humanitarian work of GeoAid was again brought to light and its positive impact in the Lomie zone was once again felt.

By Helena NSOSUNGNINE NSAMENKA and Georgette CHE.

Providing humanitarian aid to communities affected by the mining and industrial operations around the world

GEOAID HEALTH DAY, 2010 

“Together for the Promotion of Health”

Partnering with

Care Help Cameroon