Northern Cameroon is battling a cholera outbreak that has killed 28 people and infected more than 1,000 since mid-July, putting health workers on high alert as they race to contain the disease before heavier rains worsen the situation.
At Mora District Hospital, medical teams are receiving suspected and confirmed cases at a treatment centre where strict measures have been put in place to prevent further spread. Patients arriving at the facility are tested, with those who test positive transferred for treatment.
Amine Ozong Kavaye, the centre’s general supervisor, said the facility received its first patient on July 18. The patient was a three-year-old child from Aïssa.
“The centre has recorded 25 cases so far, including nine negative rapid diagnostic tests and one death. Staff are currently treating two hospitalized patients and receiving an average of one to two patients each day,” Kavaye said.
The Mora treatment centre has three tents that are being used to separate suspected cases from patients who have been admitted for treatment. The arrangement is aimed at helping health workers identify cases and manage patients while reducing the risk of transmission within the facility.
The response has been extended to the districts of Fotokol, Mada, Makary and Kolofata, with Doctors Without Borders supporting efforts to deal with the outbreak.
Health workers are also moving into communities as part of the wider response. They are carrying out door-to-door awareness campaigns to educate residents on ways of preventing the disease and limiting its spread.
Residents are being advised to stop open defecation and improve hygiene and sanitation practices as authorities work to bring the outbreak under control.
The response is taking place amid concerns over limited access to clean drinking water and poor sanitation in the region. Such conditions can make it easier for cholera to spread, increasing the pressure on health teams working to contain infections.
Health officials are also watching weather conditions closely, with concerns that worsening weather and the intensification of the rainy season could make the response more difficult.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection that can spread quickly when people consume food or water contaminated with the bacterium that causes the disease. Safe drinking water, proper sanitation and good hygiene are therefore key to preventing transmission.
At the Mora centre, health workers are relying on testing, isolation and treatment to detect cases early and limit further infections. The facility continues to receive patients as teams monitor the situation in the affected districts.
The reported deaths and infections have placed northern Cameroon under a serious public health strain, with authorities and aid organisations working to prevent the outbreak from claiming more lives.
Community awareness remains an important part of the response, with the door-to-door campaigns focusing on basic measures residents can take to protect themselves and their families. Health workers are particularly stressing safer sanitation practices and the need for access to clean water.
Authorities are now working against time to strengthen measures before heavier rains set in and potentially create conditions that could make it harder to control the disease.
Health officials are urging residents to remain alert and seek medical care as soon as symptoms appear. They are also relying on early testing, quick treatment and continued community engagement to slow transmission and prevent more deaths across the affected areas.