Noé Essesse, 82 years old, is leading a fierce fight against cholera.
Douala city is currently experiencing a phase of resurgence of cholera cases. This disease is endemic. Not a month goes by without one or two cases of cholera patients. The causes of this resurgence are numerous: “access to drinking water, the water distributor Camwater cannot cover all the departments of the Region. Populations are forced to turn to wells and boreholes. In addition, there is contamination of food and fresh supplies. Regardless, water remains the main determinant of this disease. There is also waste management. The streets are littered with garbage dumps, promiscuity and urbanization, the rainy season, floods recorded. The list is not exhaustive. We are called upon to develop mechanisms but also multisectoral responses,” analyzes Dr Hans Luc Makembe, the Coordinator of the Regional Center for the fight against epidemics, health risks, disasters and major events in the Littoral Region.
To respond to this epidemiological situation, the region, with the support of partners such as UNICEF, is mobilizing resources for the management of cholera cases, vaccination, the regulation of laboratories for monitoring samples and above all community mobilization. For this community mobilization, the city of Douala relies on health soldiers like Noé Essesse.
This Saturday morning, wearing boots and a protective suit, with an alert step, he looks like a young man of 35, Noé walks the streets of the Deido district to supervise teams who disinfect the streets and marketplaces. Affectionately called the Dean, the octogenarian is on all fronts. At the head of 500 community health workers, they go across neighborhoods to raise awareness about hygiene, water sanitation and treatment of the first symptoms of the disease. “We go door to door to inform the population and thus prevent cholera from spreading further. We communicate the importance of using treated water for drinking and cooking at home and encourage hand and food washing. As soon as there is a case detected, we go out into the field to disinfect the home and surrounding areas. We also have a community radio called “Peya Mundi” to raise awareness and inform populations in French and the Duala language. “, said Noé.
Noé and his team also carry out surveillance work. They record and report suspected cases and deaths in the community and refer patients to nearby cholera treatment centers: “When we find a person showing suspicious signs such as diarrhea, we refer them to the cholera treatment point in the community in order to provide him with the necessary care. This daily work allows the regional epidemic control center to detect cholera as early as possible in order to respond quickly to those who need care and help prevent the spread’ he narrated.
“We are still on the ground, despite the difficult situation and the bad weather. We are not inactive, and we are trained to help the most vulnerable. We know that our action saves many lives and improves the health conditions of the populations. It’s a duty, and it’s a source of pride for us,” he concludes.
UNICEF is working tirelessly with the Ministry of Health and other partners to fight against this cholera outbreak, while promoting better access to water and sanitation, which are important structural conditions for interrupting the transmission chain. Technical and equipment support are provided to social workers on site in the affected health zones as the supply of chlorine, soap, handwashing kits, image boxes for awareness raising and prevention.
