Lastest news from Nick Thaw (via e-mail).
We have made significant progress. Kate has asked me to stress again that the trip will not be nearly as simple as it was when Madame Phyllis was there to organize and smooth the way. Having said that, I am confident that as long as we remain flexible, our friends in Cameroon will not let us down.We spoke by telephone with Bah-Iya twice this week. He said that going to the small villages en brousse in mid-March 2007 IS feasible, and he is willing to try to make the local arrangements. He said the equipment and most of the supplies (and client carnets) are as we left them and will be ready to go. (We would need to supply new medicines, of course.)
Bah-Iya recommends collaborating with the doctors in Djohong rather than involve Dr Valentine Ndikum, who is in another Province. Andre has moved away, but Dourandi and Bouba are possibly willing to join us on these parasite check/health education visits. I have arranged to telephone Bah-Iya again on September 1st to give/get an update.
Also, this week we have an appointment to speak by telephone with Lamido Yaya Doumba. I shall ask him for his permission to proceed, of course, and also ask him to write the necessary letters of invitation for us. And I spoke by telephone with Joe DANJIE ("The Cameraman") last week. He is now working with Cameroon Radio Television in Yaounde, and he is willing and able to make any and all arrangements for us there.Another friend is the Secretary General of the University of Ngaoundéré; Hamidou ADAMA. Perhaps he could facilitate the "Community Health Self-Development Conference David has proposed? I am waiting to receive an e-mail from the director of the Phyllis Jansyn Women's Center. It is possible that there could be some activity there that would coincide with our visit, but that is less certain.
A word about the dates and length of the project trip
The proposed dates are good, but we have to allow enough time. For example, if we left Boston on March 9th, we'd arrive in Paris in the morning of Saturday 10th and arrive in Yaounde the night of the 10th. Thus, as we would need to buy tickets in advance, we would probably not be able to take the overnight train to N'gaoundere until Monday 12th. If we spent two days gathering provisions in N'gaoundere, it would be Thursday 15th at the earliest before we arrive in Djohong. And to return to Boston for Monday 26th, we'd have to leave Yaounde on Saturday 24th, which would mean returning to Yaounde on Thursday 22nd (which means leaving N'gaoundere on Wednesday 21st), which means leaving Djohong on Monday 19th. Three days in Djohong is obviously not enough, so I propose we extend this by one week and depart Djohong on Monday 26th (to arrive in Boston on Sunday 1st April). David, what are the best dates for you? And how do you get to Douala/Yaounde from Japan? As you said, we could arrive and depart on different days and rendezvous as appropriate. And brace yourselves: The airfare will be about $2,000.
Kate has taken a job teaching at Keene State College for the next academic year which precludes her from participating in the trip or its organization. And I propose we wait to contact the others who might be interested in joining us until after our plans have solidified.In terms of approaching educational resources or NGO's, it will be difficult. Perhaps this trip should be conceived as a fact-finding mission! Whatever our itinerary, we should allow for time for visiting with people who could make a collaboration possible. Perhaps the Lamido would be of assistance, but it is hard to communicate... (David, how good are your French language skills?)
As a reminder, I have attached the old Earthwatch Briefing written by Madame Phyllis. I've excerpted some of it here for your convenience:
The objective of this project is to make a significant contribution to the quality of life of rural Cameroonians who live in remote villages by improving their health status. This will be accomplished by focusing on a chronic health problem – parasitic infection. Working with the villagers themselves, teams will work to reduce both the prevalence (current cases) and incidence (new cases) of infection by providing appropriate medical treatment, designing and disseminating targeted health education messages, building spring boxes to protect water sources, and building aesthetically acceptable latrines. Repeated visits will be made to each of the 17 villages in the study area for intervention and monitoring purposes. Volunteers will assist with all aspects of this public health project. Working with the Cameroonian Nationals (below), Volunteers will weigh clients, dispense medicine, record statistics, work with the laboratory technician to diagnose infection, keep client records, assist with or observe counseling sessions, help compile statistics and write reports, and build spring boxes and latrines (note: the non-use of latrines by village locals is a particular hazard for them).
Djohong Project Staff
- Dourandi Tchuekreo: Graduated as a nurse and laboratory technician from the École d’Agents Techniques Medico-Sanitaires at Maurou, Cameroon in 1988. He is certified as a Technician Adjoint de Laboratoir. Duties – Microscopic stool examinations and acts as general health consultant. He has a great deal of experience testing for and treating intestinal parasites, and he teaches a session on Traditional remedies and a search for medicinal trees and plants which you/we might find beneficial.
- Saidou Bah-Iya: Graduated from 6 years of primary school, was an apprentice tailor from 1984-1986, is active in community affairs. Duties – Health counselor and liaison between the project and the community.
- Bouba Koulagna: Received the diploma C.E.P.E. (primary school) in 1991. Bouba is an active member of the Djohong community, working on his various agricultural and fishery projects. One of his important functions is as a translator since he is fluent in several of the local languages and in English.
More background: Phyllis' project originally started with Health in Housing at SUNY Buffalo, a WHO sponsored program:
In 1985 and 1986 C.P. Raccurt et al. studied intestinal helminthiases in the village of Djohong, to test the drug, Albendazole. Djohong has a population of 2200 people. The Health in Housing (HIH) study subjects live in small villages (population 150 or less) off the public transportation route. The HIH laboratory technician examines the stool specimens immediately as they are presented in the villages. Raccurt et al. collected the specimens in formalin and saline and examined them in the Djohong hospital laboratory. For taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), Raccurt tested individuals from the Foulbé and Mbororo tribes (which he lumped together) and found that 8.3% of the 120 people tested positive. HIH, during its first year, found a higher percentage of positives. This might be explained by the much larger number (253) of Mbororo people that we examined, finding 17% to test positive, and less, 6.9% of 72 test subjects, from the Foulbé tribe to test positive. The two tribes are related. They have the same origin and speak the same language (with different accents), and are both mostly comprised of cattlemen. Culturally they are different. The Mbororo people, for instance, are very fond of raw beef, often eating pieces from a freshly slaughtered cow at fetes. The Foulbé are less likely to eat raw or undercooked beef. For ankylostoma (hook worm) Raccurt found among the Gbaya, Mboum, Laka, and Dourou tribes (again all lumped together) that 53% of 589 subjects tested positive. HIH found out of a test group of 111 individuals from the Gbaya and Mboum tribes that 29.7% tested positive. Perhaps this is because HIH examined fewer members of the ethnic groups who are farmers. Farmers are at particular risk of contracting ankylostoma because they work barefoot and barehanded in the soil. Examination techniques may have been a factor also. For schistome mansoni (intestinal schistosomiase), Raccurt found that 12. 3% of 763 subjects in Djohong tested positive. Djohong lies on a plateau. Upon first examination of study subjects on the plateau, HIH found 2.1% of 560 to test positive. HIH then conducted tests in the village of Bandai in the Mbéré Valley. The Mbéré River and its tributaries are infested with a particular snail that is the intermediate host of schistome mansoni. Initial tests indicated that 49% of the 145 people tested in the area were positive for schistome mansoni.
Intestinal parasites found by the HIH team in the Arrondissement of Djohong include:
Ankylostome (hook worm)
Ascaris (round worm) Seventy to ninety people in a hundred in tropical regions are infected (Gentilini and Duffo). However, the HIH team has found much less.
Anguillulose
Trechocephale
Oxyure (pin worm)
Taenia Saginata (beef tape worm)
Schistome Mansoni (intestinal schistosomiase)
Amebia
Giardia
Intestinal Trichomonas
What did I fail to mention? I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon.
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666 South East Street, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002 USA
Tel: 1 413 256 8915 ~ Fax: 1 413 256 8091
E-mail: nthaw AT juno.com
Possible Flight Intinerary from Boston to Cameroon
Delta/Air France and American/United/Swiss both fly to Yaounde each week. Here is the Swiss schedule for your consideration:
Flight Airline From To Departure Arrival Class
LX 53 SWISS Boston (MA) Zurich 18:55 - 09 Mar 08:15 - 10 Mar U-Economy
This is a codeshare flight. Please click on the flight number for more details.
LX 276 SWISS Zurich Yaounde, Nsimalen Arpt 12:15 - 10 Mar 20:25 - 10 Mar U-Economy
This is a codeshare flight. Please click on the flight number for more details.
LX 277 SWISS Yaounde, Nsimalen Arpt Zurich 21:10 - 31 Mar 06:25 - 01 Apr U-Economy
This is a codeshare flight. Please click on the flight number for more details.
LX 52 SWISS Zurich Boston (MA) 13:00 - 01 Apr 15:20 - 01 Apr U-Economy
This is a codeshare flight. Please click on the flight number for more details.
Another Flight Option from Paris (CDG) to Yaounde (NSI) via Air France (US site)
Departure flight Thursday, March 15, 2007
Flight Departure Arrival Duration StopsAircraft Class
AF940 10:30 AM Charles de Gaulle (CDG),Paris, FRANCE 7:05 PM Nsimalen (NSI),Yaounde, CAMEROON 08h35mn 1 StopOver ,332 Economy Class
Return flight Thursday, March 29, 2007
AF941 8:35 PM Nsimalen (NSI),Yaounde, CAMEROON 6:30 AM +1 Day Charles de Gaulle (CDG),Paris, FRANCE 08h55mn 1 StopOver ,343 Economy Class change your flight selection
Detail prices Total $1,015.02 Price Taxes incl 9/11 fee Passenger Total including taxes $911 + $104.02 x 1 Adult = $1,015.02 Total : $1,015.02
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