Implementing SARS-CoV-2 Testing during a Large-Scale Sporting Event in Africa: Lessons Learned from the Africa Football Cup of Nations Tournament in Cameroon.

During the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) football tournament in Cameroon, organizers and health authorities required a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result <48 hours before entry and provided free SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination at stadium and fan zone entrances. We describe the outcomes and implementation of mandatory SARS-CoV-2 testing at fan zones during AFCON. All consenting fan zones attendees were administered an electronic questionnaire capturing exposure factors, COVID-19-like symptoms, and COVID-19 vaccination status, before being tested for SARS-CoV-2 using an antigen rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT).

Innovative approach in assessing the children's immunization status when it cannot be documented.

During surveys, it is recommended that children immunization status should be based on immunization documents. It has been noted that in some communities, a number of children are claimed to be vaccinated but have no evidence of vaccination. This work is proposed to estimate routine immunization coverage in children based on both documented vaccination and the tracking of undocumented immunization.

Research for Health Care and Policy on HIV/AIDS: proceedings of the third edition of the Cameroon HIV Research (CAM-HERO) 2022, Kribi, Cameroon, from 1 to 3 December 2022.

Cameroon is committed to reaching HIV epidemic control through coordinated efforts by the Ministry of Public Health, the National AIDS Control Committee, bilateral/multilateral institutions and implementing partners. The third edition of the Cameroon HIV Research Forum (CAM-HERO) was held in Kribi from December 1 to 3, 2022, with the theme "Research for Health Care and Policy on HIV/AIDS." The conference brought together local and international scientists and clinicians, policymakers, and regulatory authorities to 1) disseminate HIV research findings and HIV policy; 2) foster operational research collaboration; 3) build research capacity through training on basics of research methods and CAM-HERO young investigator Awards; and 4) initiate a guideline for promoting HIV/AIDS research in Cameroon.

Tracking Demographic Movements and Immunization Status to Improve Children's Access to Immunization: Field-Based Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Countries' Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) contribute to the reduction of mortality and morbidity, but access to these vaccines remains limited in most low-income countries.

Objective: We aim to assess whether involving community volunteers (CVs) to track children's vaccination status and demographic movements and using recorded data to plan catch-up immunization sessions can improve children's vaccination timeliness, completeness, and coverage.

Methods: This was a field-based randomized controlled trial and communities of the Foumban health district in West Cameroon were allocated to intervention or control groups.

An innovative approach in monitoring oral cholera vaccination campaign: integration of a between-round survey.

Background: Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is essential in ensuring population's access to immunization. Surveys are part of this M&E approach but its timing limits the use of its results to improve the coverage of the evaluated campaign. An oral cholera vaccination campaign was organized in a health district of the Far North region of Cameroon and involved an innovative M&E approach.

Influence of HIV infection on the distribution of high-risk HPV types among women with cervical precancerous lesions in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Objectives: To characterize high-risk HPV types associated with cervical precancerous lesions in women living in Yaounde, Cameroon, and to determine their distribution with HIV status.

Methods: Women with abnormal pap smears recorded from February 2015 to May 2019 at Saint Martin de Porres' Health Centre, Yaounde, Cameroon, were recruited in this study after obtaining informed consent. Pap smears were collected and re-examined.

Distribution of sources of household air pollution: a cross-sectional study in Cameroon.

Background: Household air pollution (HAP) is a recognised risk factor for many diseases, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular/circulatory disorders, adverse pregnancy outcomes and cataracts. Population exposure to biomass fuels, including wood, varies among countries and from one fuel source to the other. This study aimed to investigate the different sources of HAP in peri-urban and rural communities in Cameroon.

Tracking Demographic Movements and Immunization Status to Improve Children's Access to Immunization (TDM-IAI): Protocol for a Field-Based Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In Cameroon, the coverage, completeness, and timeliness of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) vaccines administration in children have remained heterogeneous and below the national and districts targets in several districts. In an effort to solve this problem, many interventions have been tested but none has shown significant improvement of the situation.

Objective: This trial aims to test whether involving Community Volunteers to assess children vaccination status and demographic movements and using recorded data to plan catch-up immunization sessions can improve children vaccination timeliness, completeness and coverage.

EPI immunization coverage, timeliness and dropout rate among children in a West Cameroon health district: a cross sectional study.

Background: Monitoring of the expanded program on immunization's performance is not only limited to routine periodic reports but equally includes surveys. Based on unpublished national EPI surveillance data from the past 5 years in Cameroon, the Foumban health district has reported a high number of vaccine preventable disease suspected cases. Contradictory information on the immunization coverage in this district exists from both administrative data and published literature.

Health facility preparedness for cholera outbreak response in four cholera-prone districts in Cameroon: a cross sectional study.

Background: The risk of cholera outbreak remains high in Cameroon. This is because of the persistent cholera outbreaks in neighboring countries coupled with the poor hygiene and sanitation conditions in Cameroon. The objective of this study was to assess the readiness of health facilities to respond to cholera outbreak in four cholera-prone districts in Cameroon.

[Profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial pathogens associated with diarrheas in patients presenting at the Kousseri Regional Hospital Anne, Far North, Cameroon].

Introduction: In most of the health facilities in Cameroon, the management of patients with diarrhea is based on presumptive diagnosis due to limited laboratory resources. This study aimed to determine germs profile and their susceptibility to antibiotics usually prescribed against pathogenic bacteria associated with diarrheas at the Kousseri Regional Hospital Annex from July to October 2015.

Methods: We conducted a descriptive and cross-sectional study of all consenting individual presenting with diarrhea to the Kousseri Regional Hospital Annex during the study period.