Publications by authors named "Armand S Nkwescheu"
Snakebites in Cameroon by Species Whose Effects Are Poorly Described.
Trop Med Infect Dis
December 2024
Snakes responsible for bites are rarely identified, resulting in a loss of information about snakebites from venomous species whose venom effects are poorly understood. A prospective clinical study including patients bitten by a snake was conducted in Cameroon between 2019 and 2021 to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a marketed polyvalent antivenom. Clinical presentation during the first 3 days of hospitalization was recorded following a standardized protocol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSnakebite envenomation (SBE) is a public health issue in sub-Saharan countries. Antivenom is the only etiological treatment. Excellent tolerance is essential in managing SBE successfully.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Snakebites pose a significant public health challenge in Africa, and this study evaluated the effectiveness of the Inoserp PAN-AFRICA antivenom in Cameroon, enrolling 447 patients with snakebite injuries.
- Two hours after administering the antivenom, 75.2% of patients saw improvements in coagulation disorders, and 96% had complete cessation of bleedings within 24 hours.
- The study found a low occurrence of long-term complications, with only 3% of patients exhibiting sequelae 15 days post-treatment, while 11 patients (3%) died, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and research on snakebite treatments.
Integrated approaches to health such as One Health are needed to tackle complex problems that cannot be solved by a single discipline or country, such as climate change, biodiversity loss or antimicrobial resistance. The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), one of the international pioneers in One Health with its African partners, the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva, which has also adopted One Health, and other activities in Berne and Zurich, make Switzerland a hub for One Health research and development worldwide. This article summarizes the development of the One Health approach in Switzerland, and uses examples to demonstrate its added value.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Snakebite envenoming poses significant health risks to both humans and domestic animals, particularly in rural areas of Nepal and Cameroon, as highlighted by a national survey of over 24,000 households conducted in late 2018 and early 2019.
- The study documented 405 snakebite cases across different animal species, revealing high mortality rates of 85% in Nepal and 87% in Cameroon, with most bites occurring near homes or farms.
- The findings emphasize the urgent need for affordable treatments and effective prevention strategies to mitigate the effects of snakebites on animal health and farmer livelihoods in low-income regions, aligning with the WHO's One Health approach.
Background: Worldwide, it is estimated that snakes bite 4.5-5.4 million people annually, 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In Cameroon, since the first epidemiological week held in 2015, snakebites have been registered among Potential Epidemic Diseases (PED). In the Centre Region, the most densely populated of the country, weekly reports of snakebites are generated at health districts level for monthly data updates.
Methods: To contribute to the better management of snakebite cases, an observational study was conducted to assess the snakebite reporting rate in the Centre Region of Cameroon.
Background: Snakebite has only recently been recognized as a neglected tropical disease by the WHO. Knowledge regarding snakebites and its care is poor both at the population level, and at the health care staff level. The goal of this study was to describe the level of knowledge and clinical practice regarding snakebite among health care staff from Cameroon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Snakebites pose a significant health risk, especially in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, where poor surveillance often leads to lost data on their impact.
- Two case studies are highlighted: a 3-year-old girl who died after not receiving antivenom, and an 80-year-old traditional healer who died after a snakebite before reaching a hospital.
- Community audits are essential for identifying intervention strategies to reduce snakebite mortality, including the need for accessible antivenom, health education, training for healthcare workers and traditional healers, and improved transportation for victims.
Update on the distribution of Mansonella perstans in the southern part of Cameroon: influence of ecological factors and mass drug administration with ivermectin.
Parasit Vectors
May 2016
Article Synopsis
- Mansonellosis is a neglected tropical disease with an unknown distribution in southern Cameroon, prompting a survey to map out Mansonella perstans prevalence across various bioecological zones.
- The study involved mixed methods—cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys—across 137 communities over 14 years, analyzing the impact of multiple rounds of ivermectin mass drug administration on infection rates.
- Results indicated that while M. perstans was largely found in equatorial rainforest areas, there was a significant reduction in infections in certain zones after ten years of ivermectin treatment, highlighting the effectiveness of mass drug administration in controlling this disease.
As the study of disease occurrence and health indicators in human populations, Epidemiology is a dynamic field that evolves with time and geographical context. In order to update African health workers on current epidemiological practices and to draw awareness of early career epidemiologists on concepts and opportunities in the field, the 3(rd) African Epidemiology Association and the 1st Cameroon Society of Epidemiology Conference was organized in June 2-6, 2014 at the Yaoundé Mont Febe Hotel, in Cameroon. Under the theme«Practice of Epidemiology in Africa: Stakes, Challenges and Perspectives», the conference attracted close to five hundred guest and participants from all continents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The majority (>95%) of new HIV infection occurs in resource-limited settings, and Cameroon is still experiencing a generalized epidemic with ~122,638 patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). A detrimental outcome in scaling-up ART is the emergence HIV drug resistance (HIVDR), suggesting the need for pragmatic approaches in sustaining a successful ART performance.
Methods: A survey was conducted in 15 ART sites of the Centre and Littoral regions of Cameroon in 2013 (10 urban versus 05 rural settings; 8 at tertiary/secondary versus 7 at primary healthcare levels), evaluating HIVDR-early warning indicators (EWIs) as-per the 2012 revised World Health Organization's guidelines: EWI1 (on-time pill pick-up), EWI2 (retention in care), EWI3 (no pharmacy stock-outs), EWI4 (dispensing practices), EWI5 (virological suppression).
There is a huge need for health research to support contextually relevant health service and policy solutions to better the health of populations in sub-Saharan Africa. This need contrasts with the very timid engagement of healthcare practitioners in research in the region.It is against this background that the Douala General Hospital (a tertiary-care hospital in Cameroon), under the stewardship of its chief executive officer, organised the first annual scientific and research day in October 2014.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Rapid scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and limited access to genotyping assays in low-resource settings (LRS) are inevitably accompanied by an increasing risk of HIV drug resistance (HIVDR). The current study aims to evaluate early warning indicators (EWI) as an efficient strategy to limit the development and spread of preventable HIVDR in these settings, in order to sustain the performance of national antiretroviral therapy (ART) rollout programmes.
Methods: Surveys were conducted in 2008, 2009 and 2010 within 10 Cameroonian ART clinics, based on five HIVDR EWIs: (1) Good prescribing practices; (2) Patient lost to follow-up; (3) Patient retention on first line ART; (4) On-time drug pick-up; (5) Continuous drug supply.
Background: Rapid scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-limited settings is accompanied with an increasing risk of HIV drug resistance (HIVDR), which in turn could compromise the performance of national ART rollout programme. In order to sustain the effectiveness of ART in a resource-limited country like Cameroon, HIVDR early warning indicators (EWI) may provide relevant corrective measures to support the control and therapeutic management of AIDS.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 2010 among 40 ART sites (12 Approved Treatment Centers and 28 Management Units) distributed over the 10 regions of Cameroon.