Bulletin # 07

CAMEROON North-West and South-West, Health Cluster Update, 16 -24 June 2020 25 June, 2020

COVID-19 SITUATION HIGHLIGHTS (as of 24 June 2020, 1:00 PM) CFR 5 % GLOBAL: 9,440,535+ 482,923+ Confirmed Cases To t a l Deaths 3% AFRICAN 336,563+ 8,857+ REGION: Confirmed Cases Total Deaths

3% CAMEROON: 12, 592+ 313 Confirmed Cases To t a l Deaths

SOUTH (as of 24 June 2020): 6%

503 1503 29 540,000+ NW Regional delegation training community health workers for contact tracing in Confirmed Cases Total Tested Total Deaths Total Passengers Screened Photo: WHO/ Dr Jean Richard Balo NORTH WEST REGION (as of 23 June 2020): 11% IMMEDIATE NEEDS: • More medical supplies (oxygen concentrator/cylinders, COVID-19 treatment kits) in 409 918 45 556,000 + both regions. Confirmed Cases Total Tested Total Deaths Total Passengers Screened • Both regions are still in need of more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 CASES PER SEX IN NWSW REGION: training on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC).

59% 41% Source: WHO; Ministry of Public • More health districts need to be trained and provided with tools for effective contact Male Female Health-Cameroon, Johns Hopkins; nCoV tracing. KEY HIGHLIGHTS: • Stronger sensitization to counter the misinformation about public misinformation at • The NW regional delegation team trained over 80 Community Health Workers health facilities. (CHWs) in six health district for contact tracing. • More human resources required to support both regional delegations and • NWSW regions scaled up the efforts to test the COVID-19 suspected cases laboratories. using Rapid Diagnostic Te s t (RDT) kits. • Health Cluster offered a flash training to10 CHWs in NW region on how to CHALLENGES: use the EWARS tool for Suspected COVID-19 cases. • Tracking and mapping all COVID-19 cases/suspected cases in both regions. • In SW region, 08 out of 18 health districts reported confirmed COVID-19 • Limited infrastructure and financial resources for effective management of COVID-19 cases. 75% of the cases have been recorded from and Limbe. in both regions. • In NW region, 10 out of the I9 health districts reported confirmed cases of COVID-l9. 77% of the cases have been recorded in Bamenda. • Difficulties in reaching the contacts of positive COVID-19 cases in both regions. • Over the last eight days the number of COVID-19 suspected cases increased • All districts have not been capacitated and empowered for effective contact tracing with massive Antigen RD T in NWR. due to lack of resources. Bulletin # 07 CAMEROON 25 June, 2020

KEY HIGHLIGHTS IN SOUTH-WEST REGION (COVID-19): 16 3 Tested Positive • A total of 1,503 persons suspected of COVID-19 have been tested from 11 21 health districts and 503 confirmed positive from eight health districts. 01 • 29 deaths have been recorded so far due to COVID-19. 7 3 Mamfe 42 27 • 25 Health personnel infected with 02 deaths due to COVID-19. 39 10 • There are 278 active cases in the region and seven referrals have been done in 214 78 the regions. Limbe 657 207 Buea 523 173 • Tw o testing sites (PCR) and many are active and 04 management units with 64 bed capacity in the Region. 0 200 400 600 800 1000

Coordination: South West situation of COVID-19 management units status • There is a Regional Scientific Committee (RSC) for COVID-19 that serves as an Beds Occupied advisory body to the regional Incident Management System (IMS). This Bed Beds with COVID - 19 Center Operational committee meets once a week during which the regional delegate provides capacity Oxygen With Without feedback on activities of the IMS at the delegation of health. Oxygen Oxygen Buea Regional Hospital Yes 19 3 0 2 • Weekly meetings are held between the Regional Incident Management (RIM) team and partners involved in the fight against COVID-19 to follow-up and Limbe Regional Hospital Yes 4 2 1 5 strengthen the regional response plan. Recommendations from this meeting are Kumba PGH Yes 16 2 0 1 channelled to the RSC through the regional delegate. Tiko District Hospital No 38 - - - Limbe Middle Farms Stadium No 300 - - - Surveillance / Contact Tracing: Total 402 8 1 17 • The region is continuously working with her partners for possibilities to strengthen surveillance Infection Prevention and Control (IPC): • 35 alerts received and all investigated leading and 53 contact lists transmitted • 17 Public institutions, 11 households, 13 health facilities, and 09 corpses disinfected for follow-up. by SWR. Case Management: • Regional WASH teams providing technical assistance on disinfection to all persons • 278 active cases in the region (112 Limbe, 60 Buea, 29 Kumba, 26 Mamfe, 10 who are in need. Tiko, 01Tombel, 01 Muyuka, 02 Bangem).

• There are 04 operational COVID-19 management sites in the region (Buea, Limbe,Tiko, and Kumba). Communication/ Sensitization: • Reach out and IRC sensitized over 7,00 people some parts of , , and Kupe. • Last week, IYA foundation sensitized about 100 people in Buea town market. Bulletin # 07 CAMEROON 25 June, 2020 KEY HIGHLIGHTS IN NORTH-WEST REGION (COVID-19): • WHO extended technical support to the NW regional delegation of public health for effective rapid test results reporting on a daily basis from district rapid • The North West Region (NWR) has recorded a total of 409 confirmed cases and investigation teams using Kobo toolbox. 45 deaths as of 23 June 2020. The case fatality rate is 11%.

• 10 out of the l9 health districts so far have been affected ( Bamenda, Mbengwi, CHWs trained in contact tracing for COVID-19 for six health districts of NWR by Bali, Batibo, Tubah, Ndop, Fundong, Santa, Kumbo East and Wum). The Bamenda Regional Delegation. health district alone has recorded 77% of the cases.

NW Region COVID-19 Cases by Health District Kumbo East, 2 Wum, 2 Tubah, 4 Mbegwi, 4 Batibo, 4 Bali, 5 Santa, 6 Fundong, 52 Bamenda, 315

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 •

• Regional delegate scaled up RDT testing sites for suspected COVID-19 cases with district rapid investigation teams to all health districts of NWR.

• 181 cases are currently on treatment with 16 hospitalized (4 on Oxygen, 7 in Quarantine center and 158 at home). 86 cases have recovered.

• The number of COVID-19 confirmed cases has sharply increased during the last NW Region District Health Focal Person Contacts for COVID-19 eight days as a result of systematic identification and massive testing of all Health District Telephone Number Health District Telephone Number suspected COVID-19 cases with the RDT. Ako 677775529 Ndop 679911853 • 12 out of 19 health districts have been conducting rapid antigen testing Bafut 677802159 Ndu 654492203 Bali 677319374 Njikwa 677101901 • Follow up all contacts of positive cases, and testing is conducted immediately Bamenda 679167140 Nkambe 650077258 whenever contacts are identified. Batibo 677364809 Nwa 674334230 Benkuma 675318490 Oku 675516307 • 23 Health facilities capacitated, but only nine health facilities are treating for Fundong 677866226 Tubah 677412062 COVID-19 patients (Bamenda Regional hospital, Mbingo Baptist hospital, Kumba East 675919418 Santa 678801756 Njinikom Catholic hospital, Shisong Catholic hospital, Santa District hospital, Kumbo West 674283400 Wum 676375983 Tubah District hospital, Wum District hospital, Widikum St Joseph Catholic Regional Delegation of Hospital, and Bali District hospital). Mbengwi 674022962 Public Health 650335693 Bulletin # 07 CAMEROON 25 June, 2020 HEALTH AND WASH CLUSTER PARTENRS ACTIVTIES (COVID-19): • Train of the health personnel and community health workers on the management of corpses and provide adequate resources (Creation of a mortuary, provision of EWARS (Early Warning Alert and Surveillance System): body bags and PPEs). • Sensitization and WASH interventions should be extended to all the communities An alert of COVID-19 suspected case was generated through the EWARS tool by of Mabetta. CHW on 21 June 2020 from Babessi, Ndop health district, NWR. The WHO alerted to the NW regional delegation for further investigation. As of 23 June more than 1,000 events have been submitted by the CHWs from across NW and SW remote areas. CHOLERA IN SOUTH WEST: WHO and partners conducted a joint assessment on 16 June 2020 in Mabeta to inform the response to a suspected cholera outbreak in Mabeta health area. Mabetta is a locality in Limbe three subdivision in the South West Region of Cameroon with a population of over 7,089 people. Most of the inhabitants are small scale farmers and fishermen who depend on daily income and living in very crowded poorly constructed houses along the ocean. On the 28 of May the health district service was notified of cases of diarrhoea and community deaths in Mabetta. The MoH UNICEF: Supported the training of 80 CHWs on COVID-19 and contact tracing in immediately sent a team to assess the situation and initiate a response. WHO Bamenda. The training was conducted by the Regional Delegation of Public Health of dispatched one of the mobile clinic teams to this locality to support the response to the North West to capacitate the CHWs on sensitization of the population on the outbreak of cholera and also donated 2 cholera kits for the treatment of 160 COVID-19 and follow-up of contacts of COVID-19 positive cases. CHWs were cases. trained from health districts affected by the COVID-19. Main Gaps: UNICEF supported the Regional • Absence of adapted cholera treatment beds at the Cholera treatment Unit(CTU) Delegation of Public Health of • Absence adequate handwashing points at the CTU the South West to conduct the • No footbath in the CTU to decontaminate shoes Periodic Intensification of Routine Immunization (PIRI) • No footbath in the CTU to decontaminate shoes activity from 12 – 21 June 2020 in • The modern toilet is not functional, a pit latrine in the facility is not constructed five health districts (Buea, Tiko, Limbe, Muyuka and To m b e l ) in • Lack of a good waste disposal system in the facility the SWR respecting the • No provisions for corpse management (body bag, mortuary) preventive measures of COVID- Recommendations: 19. Partial results showed that more than 3,800 children below • Redeploy staff from other health areas to support the CTU in Mabetta 11 months received vaccines • Provide adequate resources for the management of cholera (cholera beds, drugs against preventable diseases and for 30 cases, PPEs for staff and alternate source of power. vitamin-A supplementation and Vaccination in the community in Limbe and 2,419 children received a second • Improve on WASH in the health facility (construction of a VIP toilet, construction Tombel Heath district dose of Measles & Rubella of an adequate waste disposal site, installation of hand washings points and vaccines. footbaths in the CTU. Bulletin # 07 CAMEROON 25 June, 2020 HEALTH AND WASH CLUSTER PARTENRS ACTIVTIES (COVID-19): Hope for a better Future (H4BF): Reached out to 30 vulnerable and displaced families through COVID-19 outreach programe in NWR. The programme exclusively targeted some 30 female-headed displaced family’s resident around the Mile4 neighbourhood in Bamenda. Beneficiaries were sensitized on the COVID-19, and IPC measures (handwashing, effective use of masks, social distancing). These displaced female-headed families benefited from some food items such as several kilograms of Rice, Mushrooms, Litres of cooking oil as well as packets of detergents.

FAVOUR LOW-COST HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION (FALCOH): Donated more than 900 different types of PPE (face masks, surgical gowns and gloves), supplies for intensive care (Oxygen mask, CPAPS, for both adults & children, Ambu bag masks, assorted feeding/NG tubes), stretcher sheets, blood pressure cuffs, instrument pads, patient gowns, among others. to the regional hospital of Buea. The donation was intended to enhance COVID-19 management and sustain quality essential health care services.

Reach Out (REO): Supported the regional delegation of public health for the south -west to follow-up 427 contacts of COVID-19 infected persons (Limbe and Mamfe). Trained three local health facilities in rural areas on COVID-19 IPC: Bafia (Muyuka), Ekondo-Titi, and . REO sensitized 949 persons (464 males, 485 females) on COVID-19 in five health districts where mobile clinics (WHO sponsored) are operational ( Koupe Manegouba, Manyu, Fako, Ngo Ketunja, and Momo). REO donated key items to the COVID-19 treatment center in Buea to improve transportation of samples and protection of their staff (5 coolers, 8 flasks, 01 hand wash station, 8 packets of tissue papers, 5 pairs of rubber slippers, 10 tapes, 8 scrubs 160 masks and 6 packets of gloves). Trained 40 frontline humanitarians in Bamenda, Kumba, and Limbe on COVID-19 mitigation during humanitarian activities.

NWSW HEALTH CLUSTER CONTACTS: Dr. Venkat Dheeravath, Ph.D Dr. CHANDINI Aliyou Moustapha DISCLAIMER: The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not Health Information Management Officer South West Region Field Coordinator imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Cameroon Health Cluster Mobile: +237 690 522 883 Mobile: +237 691 797 435 concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. SOURCES: WHO Admin boundary layers: UNDP; Dr. Balo Jean Richard Dr. Douba Epee Emmanuel Christian Affected areas: Health Cluster Partners, the Media; Feedback: North West Region Emergency Field Coordinator WHO Emergency Coordinator [email protected]. Mobile: +237 691 415 130 Mobile: +237 655 978 469