Water supply, sanitation and health risks in Yaounde, Cameroon

Population growth and rapid urbanization in Cameroon have led to major demographic changes in the urban centres, potentially resulting in serious environmental problems in the most populated cities such as Yaounde. In order to better understand the impacts on the hygiene conditions in certain quarters of this political capital, we carried out in March 2007, an investigation on the difficulties of water supply, sanitation and health problems. The investigation involved 1397 households distributed among 7 quarters with informal settlements. 17% of households only had a private connection to national company of drinking water distribution (CAMWATER) because of the lack of infrastructure and the high cost of the connection. The households which are unable to afford the cost of getting connected to CAMWATER network, exploit water from CAMWATER public paying fountain (56% of households), wells (17% of households), springs (4% of households), bore-holes (0.07% of household) and rivers (0.001% of household) to satisfy their needs. The majority of these water points (wells, springs and rivers) could be polluted, because of the informal nature of settlements which leads to proximity of habitats to latrines and to points of discharge of waste (solid and liquids). The health problems issuing probably from these potential polluted water points which at times occur as stagnant ponds around the dwellings is shown by the population of the zone of study in particular cases of malaria (100% of households), diarrhoea (24% of household), dysentery (24% of household), typhoid (0.07% of household), skin disease (0.07% of households). These results highlight the problems to which the authorities in charge of the environment and health must first bring a solution in a context to fight against poverty in Cameroon.Key words: Environment, cleansing, drinking water, peri-urban zone, Yaounde

Influence of Altitudes on Sporangia Size and Aggressiveness of Phytophthoracolocasiae Isolates in Cameroon

A study was carried out in four altitudes in Cameroon to assess the size of the sporangia and the aggressiveness of Phytophthoracolocasiae isolates on taro cultivars. The study was conducted in the West and Littoral regions, which include high, medium and low altitude. Sporangia sizes were measured with the microscope on 50 sporangia collected from each isolate and the cross infectivity of the isolates was assessed on leaf fragments of four cultivars; namely Green Purplish Petiole (GPP), Pink Petiole (PP)

Title: Primary Dysmenorrhea: Associated Symptoms, Impact and Management among Females in the Menoua Division of the West Region of Cameroon. Cross-sectional Study Running Title: Primary Dysmenorrhea in the Menoua Division

Primary dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation in the absence of pelvic pathology is a common and often debilitating gynecological condition that affects between 45% and 95% of women at reproductive age. The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and associated menstrual symptoms and their self-management techniques among females. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Menoua Division, which has six subdivisions namely: Fokoue, Dschang, NKongni, Penka Michel, Santchou and Fongo tongo .For this purpose, 668 women aged from 12 to 38 years were considered. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The main results revealed that dysmenorrhea was reported on almost two-thirds of the women (66.17%). In the 442 girls who reported dysmenorrhea Severe pain was reported by 20.71 % of respondents. More than one-third of the respondents (39.75%) reported using pain relief medications with 23.38 % of herbal medicine and 76.54 % of synthetic medicines. The gastrointestinal problems (diarrhoea and vomiting were the most common symptoms experienced. Less than 19.41% of respondents reported having consulted a doctor for their dysmenorrhea, while most of them consulted friends and family.Dysmenorrhea is a very common problem among university students. A number of symptoms were related to dysmenorrhea. Even though it is common, and may not have a pathological cause, few women seek medical advice. Increasing the awareness might help in relieving the burden of this common health problem

Caractérisation des relation eaux de surface - eaux souterrain en milieu tropical sec : exemple du bassin de la Nema (sine Saloum, Sénégal).

Les nappes d'eau phréatiques, facilement accessibles, sont les réserves les plus sollicitées dans les régions tropicales sèches. Une étude de leurs interactions avec les eaux de surface a été entreprise conjointement par le département des eaux continentales de l'ORSTOM - Dakar et le laboratoire d'hydrogéologie de l'université Cheikh Anta Diop. Cet article présente les principaux résultats obtenus dans le Sine - Saloum(Sénégal). La nappe phréatique est contenue dans les formations argilo sableuses du continental terminal. Sa profondeur augmente considérablement du bas-fond marécageux vers les zones de plateau. La surface piézométrique épouse les formes de la vallée. Les lignes de courant indiquent un écoulement radial convergeant vers la rivière. Pendant la saison de pluie (juillet à octobre), la nappe emmagasine importante quantité d'eau avec une vitesse d'infiltration- d'environ 5 m/j. Au cours de la longue saison sèche (novembre à juin), la réserve souterraine régulatrice s'amenuise progressivement pour s'annuler à la fin de la saison. Le bilan de l'hydrosystème montre deux sources de vidange de la nappe superficielle : - la résurgence sur les berges commence au milieu de là saison de pluie et se poursuit pendant la saison sèche. Elle draine annuellement 4 à212 % de la réserve. - la reprise évaporatoire, épisode: clique pendant la saison de pluie et continue en saison sèche, est le principal facteur d'épuisement de la réserve en eau du bassin. Elle reprend annuellement environ 90 % de la masse d'eau emmagasinée. Aussi les mouvements d'eau sont dominés par des transferts verticaux entre la nappe et l'atmosphère, conditionnés par le degré hygrométrique de l'air

An herbal tea blend of hibiscus sabdariffa, zingiber officinale, and mentha spicata: a potent source of antioxidant and anti-obesity properties

© 2024 The Authors. Published by AMO Publisher. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.59324/ejmhr.2024.2(1).10Background: There is an urgent need to find safer and more sustainable solutions to tackle the rising global epidemic obesity and associated complications. The main objective of this study was to develop formulations of herbal tea blend from three plant species and to assess the antioxidant and antiobesogenic properties of the best formulation. Methods: The best formulation (FX) obtained (80% Hibiscus sabdariffa, 10% Zingiber officinale and 10% Mentha spicata) was validated by their better sensory acceptability and antioxidant properties. In vivo study using high-fat diet Wistar rats revealed that FX alleviated oxidative stress and metabolic disorders including those affecting hepatic and renal functions caused by high-fat died. Results: The administration of FX resulted in a reduction in food intake, body weight gain and metabolic efficiency index alongside lower blood content in triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, glucose, and atherogenic index when compared to the control groups. The results were comparable if not better than those obtained from the reference groups treated with a standard obesity treatment medicine, Orlistat. Conclusion: The developed herbal blend showed promising results for use as a safer product for obesity prevention and management as well as other oxidative stress-related health issues.Published onlin

Consumer preferences and socioeconomic factors decided on plantain and plantain-based products in the central region of Cameroon and Oyo state, Nigeria

Open Access Journal; Published online: 22 Aug 2021Plantain is a key staple food in Central and West Africa, but there is limited understanding of its market in Africa. In addition, the cooking methods for enhancing the nutritional value, consumer preference, and willingness to pay for plantain and plantain-based products are not well understood. The knowledge gaps in the market and consumer dimension of the food chain need to be known to increase plantain utilization and guide breeding efforts. This research contributes by examining the cooking methods, consumer preference, and willingness to pay for plantain and plantain-based products in Cameroon and Nigeria. A household survey sample of 454 Cameroonian consumers in four divisions of Central Region and 418 Nigerian consumers in seven government areas of Oyo State in southwest Nigeria was the basis for the analysis. The results showed some levels of similarity and difference in the consumption and cooking of boiled, roasted, and fried plantain in both countries. The trend in consumption of all plantain-based products was constant in Cameroon but increased in Nigeria. The most important factor influencing Cameroonian consumers’ choice of plantain and its products was taste, while the nutrition trait influenced Nigerian consumers. Both Cameroonian and Nigerian consumers considered packaging, location of produce, and size and quantity as the least important factors. In addition, socioeconomic characteristics were significant determinants of consumers’ choices to consume plantain and its products. Gender significantly influenced (p < 0.05) taste, while nutrition was significantly driven (p < 0.05) by education and annual income. Household size played a significant role (p < 0.05) in consumers’ choices when the price was considered. These findings serve as a guideline to improve existing products to match the needs of consumers in each country and develop products for different consumer segments and potentially increase production

Variability of provitamin A carotenoids in plantain: influence of cultivar, bunch type, maturation stage, and location

Open Access Article; Published online: 01 Sept 2020In this study, the effect of ripening stage (R), cultivar (C), bunch type (T), and location (L) on the variability of provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) in 16 plantain cultivars grown in Cameroon and Gabon was investigated. For the sixteen plantain cultivars, fruits were collected at stages 1 (unripe), 5 (ripe), and 7 (overripe) from three different bunch types (French, False Horn, and True Horn) across 13 locations in Cameroon and Gabon. For all cultivars, the highest concentration of carotenoids was found in ripe pulp (p < 0.05). For bunch type, a higher level of pVACs was observed in the French type compared with the False Horn and True Horn types at all ripening stages. In addition, the concentration of pVACs at each ripening stage varied greatly across locations. In both countries, the interaction between the four factors, particularly between R × C, R × T, R × L, R × C × L, and R × T × L, contributed significantly (p < 0.05) to the variability of pVACs in plantain. Daily consumption of 100 g of ripe plantain could meet 36.2–101.7 % of the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for children 1–5 years old, 20.7–58.1 % for adult women, and 16.1–45.2 % for adult men. These findings can serve as a guide to reducing vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in Africa

Plantain hybrids for the humid forest agroecology of Central Africa – diseases and pests load, fruit yield and farmers perception

Open Access Journal; Published online: 01 Nov 2022Plantain is one of the major staples contributing to food security and income generation in West and Central Africa. Local cultivars in Cameroon are susceptible to pests and diseases causing severe losses in plantain production. This study aimed at evaluating the agronomic performance and producer’s perception of plantain hybrids in the humid forest of Cameroon. Field trials were established in a completely randomized block design with eight genotypes and three replicates. Data on pest and disease as well as farmer perception were collected over two growing cycles. These genotypes included seven improved and one local genotype (check). Improved genotypes were highly tolerant to the Black Sigatoka disease compared to local plantain. While root necrosis index was above 50% in local varieties, indices below 25% were recorded in hybrids. Weevil severity in local was higher (55.0 ± 5.2%) compared to 21.0 ± 4.6% to 28.5 ± 3.2% in improved plantains. Average bunch weight was higher for FHIA 21 with 17.9 ± 0.7 kg in the first and 19.7 ± 0.3 kg for the second cycle, while those of the local Ebang were 9.6 ± 0.5 kg and 12.8 ± 0.9 kg, respectively. FHIA 21 and CRBP 568 were the preferred varieties by farmers (68.8% and 56.3% acceptance) from an agronomic perspective. The consumers’ preferences for all the genotypes varied with types of cooking. The implications of these findings for adoption by farmers and consumers as well as for the promotion of the plantain sector in central Africa are discussed