Minister advises against hugs

The Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda, has advised people to limit or even avoid embraces or hugs, especially with people whose health situation they do not know, as one of the preventive measures against contracting the deadly Ebola virus.

This is due to the fact that the Ebola virus is mostly transmitted through body (skin) contact with an infected person. The Minister also advised against the peck-on-the-cheek greeting, or what Fancophones commonly refer to as ‘bijou’.

Minister Mama Fouda was speaking in Douala on September 1, during a visit to the economic capital to assess the preventive measures that have been put in place to stop the Ebola disease from entering the country. He was also in Doula to announce new actions to reinforce preventive measures, as well as to intensify the sensitisation campaign against the epidemic.

Though no case of the Ebola virus has, so far, been diagnosed in Cameroon, the Minister repeatedly warned that the risk of the epidemic getting to the country is very high, considering that it has already spread to as close as neighbouring Nigeria.

The Minister reiterated that in this period of the Ebola scare, it is prudent to avoid or limit hugs, especially with somebody whose health situation one does not know. The more preoccupying issue is that the disease takes as many as 21 days before the symptoms start manifesting; hence, there is the risk of embracing somebody who has the virus without knowing.

Advice Against Bush Meat Minister Mama Fouda corroborated the Governor of the Littoral Region who, a few weeks back, admonished the population against eating ‘bush meat’, especially chimpanzees and monkeys, until when the threat of the Ebola virus is over.

Meanwhile, the long thriving ‘bush meat’ business in Douala has been affected severely by the Ebola scare. It is rare to find ‘bush meat’ in Douala’s markets. Traders who used to sell ‘bush meat’ have reportedly turned to something else.

The traders say most of the hunters who used to supply them with ‘bush meat’ have suspended hunting, either out of fear of contracting the Ebola virus or out of fear that they might be arrested.

Camera At Airport During the one-day outing to Douala, Minister Mama Fouda, who was accompanied, among others, by some senior officials of the Country Office of the World Health Organisation, WHO, in Yaounde, visited the Douala International Airport which is a major entry- point to the country. At the airport, the Minister announced a reinforcement of the measures that have already been put in place, for a health team to check suspected cases of persons with the Ebola virus.

Apparently, the most effective of the preventive measures to be put in place at the Douala International Airport, is a special camera which the Minister announced will be installed at the airport next week, which will be able to detect any person with the Ebola virus, from a distance.

The Minister and his delegation also visited the Douala Seaport, where he announced that two health posts will be created at two different parts of the port, to carry out control on all those entering the country through the port.

The minister said some public health workers will receive special training on the Ebola virus, and assigned to these control posts at the Douala Port. The Douala Seaport does not only receive goods and sailors, but passengers from other countries as well.

There is a part of the Douala Port, away from the main port, which is reserved for small ships and big engine boats that transport passengers and goods to and from neighbouring countries like Equatorial Guinea, Congo Republic, Gabon, and Nigeria – Nigeria being one of the countries hit by the Ebola virus.

The Minister and his delegation also visited the Laquintinie Hospital and the Nylon District Hospital, where special wards have been reserved by the Ministry of Public Health for any case of the Ebola virus that might be detected in the Littoral Region.

Meanwhile, there has been a lot of concern in Douala in the way the Cameroon Government has been going about the preventive measures against the Ebola virus.

The Government is being criticised for doing a lot of talking on the issue but with little action on the ground.

During the Minister’s visit, the WHO officials in the delegation openly expressed concern about the fact that the ward that has been reserved for any patient with the Ebola virus at the Laquintinie Hospital is too close to other wards.

Even the hospital personnel say they are still waiting for the special equipment or kits that the Minister has been promising for the special ward reserved at the Laquintinie Hospital.

The Minister, as at September 1, was still talking of how two control posts will be created at the Douala Seaport, and how health personnel will be given special training and sent to man those posts.