Training and Operational Research Section
Training
As regards the training , the section elaborates training strategies, coordinates and insures the follow-up of training activities. Due to increased resistance of the parasite to drugs, many changes have occurred in the management of malaria in Cameroon:
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Substitution of Amodiaquine to Chloroquine in 2002 |
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Adoption of intermittent preventive treatment with Amodiaquine then Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine |
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Adoption of ACTs (Artemisinin –based Combination Therapy) with Artesunate- Amodiaquine and/or Artemether-Lumefantrine as from 2004. |
To implement these changes we had to train all those involved in the management of malaria: Teachers of the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (FMBS) and the training schools for nurses; new graduates from the FMBS; Health care providers and community relays (for the treatment of bed nets).
All these training activities were completely decentralized apart of the training of the teachers of the FMBS and new graduates which was carried out by the central level.
We started by training national trainers then provincial trainers who trained the personnel at the periphery with the supervision of Provincial Malaria Control Units (PMCU).
Operational Research activities
As concerns Operational research, the section has to:
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Seek for funding |
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Identify research domains |
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Collaborate with renown researchers and national scientific institutes (FMBS, IMPM, OCEAC) to carry out research |
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Implement the results of this research |
Research has been carried in the following domains :
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Susceptibility of the vector to insecticides |
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Malaria transmission |
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Therapeutic efficacy of antimalarials |
Surveys on susceptibility of the vector to insecticides and Malaria transmission are conducted by the program itself.
Surveys on therapeutic efficacy of antimalarials were carried out by researchers from national scientific institutions (FMBS, IMPM,OCEAC) in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP).
Results from these surveys showed the increasing rate of resistance to Chloroquine (up to 66% therapeutic failure in some sites) in Cameroon. Meanwhile Amodiaquine was still effective with highest therapeutic failure rates at 12.9% in Mengang (Centre Province). This led in 2002, to the substitution of chloroquine by Amodiaquine as first line treatment of simple malaria and adoption of ACTs in 2004.
The therapeutic efficacy of Artesunate - Amodiaquine was assessed in Ndop Health District, North West Province. Click here for details
Perspectives
We envisage to :
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Seek for funding to train more personnel and disseminate more the guidelines for the management of malaria |
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Make functional our sentinel sites where more research will be carried out |
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Be involved in all research activities on malaria in the country |