Martin YAKUM 1,*, Jerome ATEUDJIEU 1 , Anthony NJIMBIA 2, Sonia NAFACK3, Ismael KENGMO3, Pascal GOURA1, Frank KIADJIEU 1, Landry BEYALA1 , David SACK4,
1M.A. SANTE (Meilleure accès aux soins de santé), P.O.Box 33490 Yaoundé –Cameroun2M.A. SANTE (Meilleure accès aux soins de santé), Kousseri –Cameroun ; 3M.A. SANTE (Meilleure accès aux soins de santé), Douala –Cameroun ; 4Blooberg School of Public Health, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore USA.
CaHReF 2018, Yaoundé Congres hall, 08 – 11 January 2019 , OAUU0113
Background: With sporadic, persistent, and unpredictable cholera outbreaks in Africa for decades and in Cameroon from 1979 to 2012, the DOVE (a multinational) project was designed to improve access to Oral cholera vaccine in the World. The Cameroon part of the project was aimed at 1) designing and testing innovative cholera surveillance methods suitable for resource-limited countries, 2) conducting study to improve the effectiveness of actually marketed vaccines.
Objective: This abstract aims to share the achievements of DOVE project in Cameroon and update stakeholders on where we are today.
Methods: It started in 2013 and was implemented in the Far North and Littoral regions of Cameroon. DOVE project can be said to have 4 major phases in Cameroon. Phase 1 involved hospital based and environmental surveillance of cholera using enriched RDT, culture and PCR. Phase 2 involved integrated surveillance of diarrhea and electronic reporting and the involvement of the health system. Phase 3 was an extension of phase 2 and monitoring of OCV campaign. The last phase (post-surveillance phase) is essentially assessing the optimal dose-interval of OCV through a clinical trial in Douala.
Results: during the first phase, 2074 suspected cases of cholera, 1584 control patients were enrolled and 3813 environmental samples collected and tested. 59 stool specimens and 01 water specimen were tested positive. The study provided evidence that enrichment RDT improves its specificity. It was also proved feasible to stored and transport stool samples at room temperature on filter paper to investigated cholera case, outbreak propagation and to conduct integrated surveillance of many pathogens on stool samples. An innovative method was tested and proven to contribute in improving OCV immunization coverage and quality. The OCV dose-interval trial in ongoing
Conclusion: The DOVE project has provided tools that have been proven to improve cholera RDT specificity, stool sample storage and transport using filer paper, and integrated surveillance of enteric disease. It has also contributed in improving innovative methods to improve OCV immunization campaign coverage and quality. Result of the dose interval study are expected to clarify if extending doses between the first and second doses of one of marketed OCV does not reduce the immune response of the vaccine. The response to this will improve the planning of OCV campaign as reactive to cholera epidemics.
Keyword: cholera, OCV, surveillance,