A cholera outbreak is spreading across northern Cameroon, with more than 1,000 cases and 28 deaths recorded since mid-July, according to health authorities.
At Mora District Hospital, health workers are taking heightened precautions as suspected and confirmed cholera patients continue to arrive at the facility.
Amine Ozong Kavaye, general supervisor at the Mora cholera treatment centre, said the facility received its first case on July 18, involving a three-year-old child from Aïssa.
The centre has since recorded 25 cases, including nine patients who tested negative through rapid diagnostic tests and one death. Two patients are currently hospitalised, while the facility is receiving an average of one to two new patients daily.
The response is being coordinated across the Fotokol, Mada, Makary and Kolofata districts with support from Doctors Without Borders.
At the Mora treatment centre, three tents have been erected to isolate suspected cases from patients receiving treatment. Suspected patients are tested before being transferred for treatment if they test positive for cholera.
Community health workers are also carrying out door-to-door sensitisation campaigns, urging residents to avoid open defecation and adopt safer hygiene and sanitation practices.
Health officials are particularly concerned about limited access to clean drinking water and poor sanitation across the affected communities.
They are racing to contain the outbreak and prevent further transmission, especially as the rainy season threatens to worsen conditions that could accelerate the spread of the disease.
