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Papers by Jérôme Ateudjieu

Journal of Public Health in Africa

Introduction. The occurrence of epidemics is known to contribute in reducing the capacity of heal... more Introduction. The occurrence of epidemics is known to contribute in reducing the capacity of health facilities to deliver care and the predisposition of populations to seek care through several mechanisms. Objective. The objective was to assess the effect of the COVID-19 on vaccination coverage of the expanded program of immunization (EPI) vaccines in children aged 0-11 months. Methods. The study involved a descriptive and case control designs exhaustively targeting health facilities in health areas from selected health districts. The descriptive part explored the distribution of immunization coverage 12 months before and during COVID-19. Data were extracted from monthly EPI reports of health areas. Cases were months with immunization coverages of Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), Measles Mumps-Rubella 1 (MMR1) or Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus Hepatitis B + Hemophilus influenzae type b dose 3 (DPT-Hi+Hb3) less than 80%. The exposure were months belonging to the pandemic period. Results....

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, Sep 5, 2019

Blaise Genton (2019): Safety profile of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Menafrivac™) in clin... more Blaise Genton (2019): Safety profile of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Menafrivac™) in clinical trials and vaccination campaigns: a review of published studies, Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics,

Health

Background: Low vaccination coverage has been attributed to missed opportunities for vaccination ... more Background: Low vaccination coverage has been attributed to missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV). This study examines the prevalence of MOV, and its associated factors among children in Cameroon. Methods: Data from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) was analyzed for children with at least one vaccination date in the home-based record (HBR). Immunization performances such as accessibility, drop-out, and timeliness, were assessed. Service quality was assessed using MOV. Multiple logistic regression examined the effect of DHS variables on MOV outcomes, and a decision tree approach was used to study their interaction. Results: Overall, 1824 children aged 12 to 23 months were surveyed; 1285 (70.45%) had cards seen with vaccination dates leading to 85.03% of immunization activities. A proportion of 46.5% of children were not completely vaccinated. There was 27% of drop-out between BCG and MCV1, and less than 10% with the specific antigens. Vaccination timeliness proportions ranged from 42.18% for BGC to less than 70% for PENTA1-3. The national prevalence of MOV for simultaneous vaccines was 75.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 72; 79). Among those who experienced MOV, 67.4% (95% CI = 60-73) were uncorrected MOV. MOV was an issue in all regions and comparable in rural areas that urban areas (p = 0.2). Dose-specific MOV ranged from 2.66% (for the third dose of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) to 91.12 (for the yellow fever vaccine). Second birth order children experienced more MOV than first born children (ad-How to cite this paper: Whegang You

BMC Medical Education

Background Researchers are responsible for the protection of health research participants. The pu... more Background Researchers are responsible for the protection of health research participants. The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the training needs of researchers involved in human health research in Cameroon. Methods It was a cross-sectional study conducted in all the Cameroon regions in the last quarter of 2020. It targeted researchers involved in human health research selected by systematic stratified sampling from health and training institutions, and health facilities. Data were collected using a face-to-face administered questionnaire deployed in Smartphones via the ODK-collect. The distribution of participants’ exposure to research ethics training was described as well as their knowledge on the related regulatory texts. A score was used to rank the training needs identified by the participants. Results Of 168 reached participants, 134 (79.76%) participated in the study. A total of 103 (76.87%) researchers reported having received training in human health re...

Journal of Advances in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: The current coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has put the world into an unprecedented g... more Background: The current coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has put the world into an unprecedented global crisis. Health systems have been faced with an enormous challenge to provide the necessary care for this vast burden of patients. As a result, emergency and scheduled care for non-COVID patients has been affected. This study evaluates the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of medical emergencies at the Yaoundé Emergency Centre. Methodology: This was an analytical cross-sectional study with an exhaustive sampling, from patients from March to September 2019 and 2020. The analysis was done in Epi-info version 7.2.2.6 and Microsoft Excel 2016. Results: Data were collected from 5496 patients in medical emergencies. COVID-19 pandemic has eventually decrease medical emergencies [aOR=0.91, 95%CI=0.76-0.91, P=<0,0001] but didn’t impact significantly the rate of mortality [aOR=1.06, 95%CI =0.71-1.57, P=0,79]. Cardiovascular Diseases were the first cause of morbidity. Conclu...

BMC Public Health

Background Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is essential in ensuring population’s access to immuni... more Background Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is essential in ensuring population’s access to immunization. Surveys are part of this M&E approach but its timing limits the use of its results to improve the coverage of the evaluated campaign. An oral cholera vaccination campaign was organized in a health district of the Far North region of Cameroon and involved an innovative M&E approach. The aim of this project was to assess the feasibility and effect of using recommendations of a community-based immunization and communication coverage survey conducted after the first round of an OCV campaign on the coverage of the second-round of the campaign. Methods Two community-based surveys were included in the M&E plan and conducted at the end of each of the campaign rounds. Data were collected by trained and closely supervised surveyors and reported using smartphones. Key results of the first-round survey were disseminated to campaign implementing team prior to the second round. The two rounds ...

Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, 2021

Objective: To describe the pattern of antibiotics resistance and phenotypic characterization of M... more Objective: To describe the pattern of antibiotics resistance and phenotypic characterization of Multidrug resistant bacteria isolates in four hospitals of Littoral region, Cameroon. Methods: We conducted a descriptive hospital based cross-sectional study from December 2018 to May 2019. A simple random sampling was used to swap 10 selected equipment and 10 materials in the mornings after disinfection but before the start of work in seven units. After inoculation in four agar media consecutively (Eosine Metyleine blue, Cled, Manitol salt agar and blood agar ) and incubated in appropriate conditions, the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion method was used for antimicrobial susceptibility test. Results: Among 50.4% (119/236) showed positive bacteria growth, a total of 89 (13 species), predominant bacteria and those more likely to cause nosocomial infections were selected and tested each one to 18 antibiotics. There was high level of resistance to Penicillin (amoxicillin (77.5%) and Oxacillin (76...

Pan African Medical Journal, 2021

Introduction: the Treat-All remains the globally endorsed approach to attain the 95-95-95 targets... more Introduction: the Treat-All remains the globally endorsed approach to attain the 95-95-95 targets and end the AIDS pandemic by 2030, but requires some country-level contextualization. In Cameroon, the specific research agenda to inform strategies for improving HIV policy was yet to be defined. Methods: under the patronage of the Cameroon Ministry of health, researchers, policy makers, implementing partners, and clinicians from 13 institutions, used the Delphi method to arrive at a consensus of HIV research priorities. The process had five steps: 1) independent literature scan by 5 working groups; 2) review of the initial priority list; 3) appraisal of priorities list in a larger group; 4) refinement and consolidation by a consensus group; 5) rating of top research priorities. Results: five research priorities and corresponding research approaches, resulted from the process. These include: 1) effectiveness, safety and active toxicity monitoring of new and old antiretrovirals; 2) outcomes of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) with focus in children and adolescents; 3) impact of HIV and ART on aging and major chronic diseases; 4) ART dispensation models and impact on adherence and retention; 5) evaluations of HIV treatment and prevention programs. Conclusion: the research priorities resulted from a consensus amongst a multidisciplinary team and were based on current data about the pandemic and science to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure HIV. These priorities highlighted critical areas of investigation with potential relevance for the country, funders, and regulatory bodies.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2021

Diarrhea is a leading cause of death in children under five. Molecular methods exist for the rapi... more Diarrhea is a leading cause of death in children under five. Molecular methods exist for the rapid detection of enteric pathogens; however, the logistical costs of storing stool specimens limit applicability.

BMC Health Services Research, 2019

Background: The risk of cholera outbreak remains high in Cameroon. This is because of the persist... more Background: The risk of cholera outbreak remains high in Cameroon. This is because of the persistent cholera outbreaks in neighboring countries coupled with the poor hygiene and sanitation conditions in Cameroon. The objective of this study was to assess the readiness of health facilities to respond to cholera outbreak in four cholera-prone districts in Cameroon. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted targeting all health facilities in four health districts, labeled as cholera hotspots in Cameroon in August 2016. Data collection was done by interview with a questionnaire and by observation regarding the availability of resources and materials for surveillance and case management, access to water, hygiene, and sanitation. Data analysis was descriptive with STATA 11. Principal findings: A total of 134 health facilities were evaluated, most of which (108/134[81%]) were urban facilities. The preparedness regarding surveillance was limited with 13 (50%) health facilities in the Far North and 22(20%) in the Littoral having cholera case definition guide. ORS for Case management was present in 8(31%) health facilities in the Far North and in 94(87%) facilities in the littoral. Less than half of the health facilities had a hand washing protocol and 7(5.1%) did not have any source of drinking water or relied on unimproved sources like lake. A total of 4(3.0%) health facilities, all in the Far North region, did not have a toilet. Conclusions: The level of preparedness of health facilities in Cameroon for cholera outbreak response presents a lot of weaknesses. These are present in terms of lack of basic surveillance and case management materials and resources, low access to WaSH. If not addressed now, these facilities might not be able to play their role in case there is an outbreak and might even turn to be transmission milieus.

BMJ Global Health, 2019

BackgroundPrevious evaluation of the state of ethics regulation in Cameroon revealed: law regulat... more BackgroundPrevious evaluation of the state of ethics regulation in Cameroon revealed: law regulating clinical research is lacking; existing committees lack infrastructure and financial support to sustainably review and effectively monitor approved protocols. The present Cameroon National Ethics Committee (CNEC)-EDCTP project aimed at implementing and evaluating active monitoring of clinical research in Cameroon.MethodsBetween 2011–2013, approved clinical trials and protocols involving transfer of biological materials abroad were consecutively monitored. The monitoring tool, a questionnaire on the conformity of key documents e.g. research protocols, ethical clearance, informed consent documents, investigator’s brochure, with a focus on GCP standards was sent to promoters/investigators ten days prior to the field visit. Teams of two-three monitors, made up of CNEC members and independent consultants, were mobilised per site (hospital/research institute/NGO). Reports with key recommend...

BMC Medical Education, 2019

Background: Training curricula in research ethics for potential and future researchers should be ... more Background: Training curricula in research ethics for potential and future researchers should be implemented and constantly updated. This requires data regarding training needs. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey on residents, fifth and sixth-year medical students registered in the 2006-2007 academic year at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS) of the University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon. Results: Two-fifths (40.4%) of respondents (response rate 70.9%) reported training in research ethics. Less than half were aware of specific regulatory texts relevant to research ethics. Among those who reported conducting a research project 66.7% declared having obtained informed consent from participants and 32.9% having submitted their protocol to an Ethics Review Committee. Participants identified training priorities in research ethics and responsibilities of key actors in the protection of research participants. Conclusion: There is a need to improve the training and attitude of medical students and residents in order to prepare them to respect and protect research participants.

Globalization and health, Jan 21, 2017

Over the last decade, there has been a rapid increase in biomedical research in Cameroon. However... more Over the last decade, there has been a rapid increase in biomedical research in Cameroon. However, the question of whether these research projects target major health priorities, vulnerable populations and geographic locations at risk remains to be answered. The aim of this paper is to describe the state of biomedical research in Cameroon which is a key determinant that would guide future health care policies and promote equitable access to healthcare. A documentary review of all approved protocols (proposals) of biomedical research projects, from 1997 through 2012, at the Cameroon National Ethics Committee. Protocols were reviewed systematically by independent reviewers and data were extracted on a grid. Data were analyzed by calculating proportions at 95% confidence interval, chi-square test (chi2) and p-values. Two thousand one hundred seventy two protocols were reviewed for data extraction. One thousand three hundred ninety-five (64.7%) were student projects, 369 (17.0%) project...

BMC research notes, Jan 30, 2017

Cholera outbreaks are recurrent in Cameroon and despite the efforts put together during epidemics... more Cholera outbreaks are recurrent in Cameroon and despite the efforts put together during epidemics, they are always associated with a high case fatality. Inadequate demand for health care is one of the major factors that might be responsible for the high case fatality. This study was conducted to describe the health seeking behaviour of suspected cases of cholera in four health districts of the Far North Cameroon. We conducted a health facility based descriptive study involving suspected cases of cholera received in health facilities. Data was collected from August 2013 to October 2015 with the help of a questionnaire and analysis done by running frequency and calculating confidence interval at 95% with Epi Info version 3.5.4. A total of 1849 cases were enrolled, with 997 (53.9%) being males. 534 (28.9%) were children under the age of 5 and 942 (50.9%) were above the age of 14. About 373 (20%) of diarrhoeal patients arrived in the health facility more than 2 days following the onset ...

BMC Research Notes, 2016

Background: Nosocomial infections (NI) represent a real public health problem in developing count... more Background: Nosocomial infections (NI) represent a real public health problem in developing countries. Their surveillance is recommended to provide needed information for better control. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency and distribution of NI in the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital (YUTH). Methods: It was a longitudinal and descriptive study targeting hospitalized patients in the intensive care, gynaecological, surgical and neonatal units. Each consenting patient was administered a questionnaire at the beginning of the study and followed up daily for the duration of their hospitalization using a standardized grid to detect all nosocomial infections. Cumulative incidence was used to estimate NI frequency. Results: There were 307 patients included. The cumulative incidence and specific mortality rate of NI were 19.21% (16.9-21.5) and 28% (16.2-42.5) respectively. Septicaemia (20.34%), infection of the skin and soft tissues (20.34%) and urinary tract infections (15.25%) were the most frequent type of NI. Klebsiella spp. was the most frequently isolated bacterium (27%). Conclusion: Nosocomial infections contribute to high hospital morbidity in the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital. Strategies need to be identified for a sustainable and continuous monitoring of NI in all health facilities of Cameroon. In addition, Further studies should identify NI determinants and interventions for efficient and better control.

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 2016

Purpose A new vaccine against meningitis A was introduced in Africa meningitis belt in 2010. This... more Purpose A new vaccine against meningitis A was introduced in Africa meningitis belt in 2010. This study was planned to describe the incidence and types of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) with a new conjugate vaccine against meningitis A (MenAfrivac ™) in a Cameroonian vaccination campaign. Methods The campaign was conducted in Adamawa and North West regions in December 2012 and the AEFIs enhanced surveillance from December 2012 to January 2013. Incidence rates (IR) of overall and serious AEFIs were estimated as well as AEFI incidence rates by type, age group and region. AEFI symptoms were aggregated in System Organ Class (SOC). Results Of 2 093 381 persons vaccinated, 1352 AEFIs were reported. Of these, 228 (16.9%) were excluded because of not meeting inclusion criteria and 1124 (83.1%) included (IR: 53.7/100 000 doses administered/8 weeks). Of the 82 serious AEFIs reported, 52 (63.2%) met the case definition. 23 (28.1%) were investigated, of which 4 (17.4%) were probably vaccine product-related reactions (IR: 0.2/100 000 doses administered/8 weeks). Fever was the most common reported AEFI with 626 cases (IR: 31.4/100 000 doses administered/8 weeks). The proportion of people with the SOC "Gastrointestinal disorders" was significantly lower in ages 5-15 and 16-29 years than 1-4 years [aRR = 0.63(0.42-0.93) and 0.54(0.36-0.81) respectively]. Conclusion Incidence and types of AEFI reported during MenAfriVac TM vaccination campaign organized in Cameroon in 2012 did not suggest concern regarding the vaccine safety. Differences in frequency of AEFIs types per age group could guide the monitoring of AEFIs frequency in future campaigns. Efforts are needed to improve the investigation rate of serious AEFIs.

PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2016

Vibrio cholerae is endemic in South Asia and Africa where outbreaks of cholera occur widely and a... more Vibrio cholerae is endemic in South Asia and Africa where outbreaks of cholera occur widely and are particularly associated with poverty and poor sanitation. Knowledge of the genetic diversity of toxigenic V. cholerae isolates, particularly in Africa, remains scarce. The constraints in improving this understanding is not only the lack of regular cholera disease surveillance, but also the lack of laboratory capabilities in endemic countries to preserve, store and ship isolates in a timely manner. We evaluated the use of simplified sample preservation methods for molecular characterization using multi-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) for differentiation of Vibrio cholerae genotypes. Forty-seven V. cholerae isolates and 18 enriched clinical specimens (e.g. stool specimens after enrichment in broth) from cholera outbreaks in Cameroon were preserved on Whatman filter paper for DNA extraction. The samples were collected from two geographically distinct outbreaks in the ...