Abstract

The economic challenge is one of the major causes of Mbororo people not able to afford malaria treatment within the Buea municipality. The main objective of this study was to determine the correlation between economic challenge and spatial prevalence of malaria diseases among the indigenous population of Buea. To achieve these objectives, a random stratified surveying method was used to sample three quarters and to administer questionnaire and interviews.

The data collected from different places within Buea, like Buea town, Muea and Mile 16. Data collected was analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the analysis is presented on charts and tables using excel and SPSS. From the analysis, our findings also it proved that the annual infection of malaria diseases is uneven weather with the upper part of Buea town being colder than Muea and Mile 16.

Also, from our findings in relation to our objectives which proved that majority of the people prefer to use traditional medication to cure malaria which is less costly than hospital medication. The results also reveals that majority of the indigenous population do not have well-paid jobs and most of them are middle income earners, which makes it difficult to provide medical health care services at a certain point.

In conclusion, some solutions and strategies used to curb or reduce the prevalence of malaria diseases in the Buea municipality have proposed to help change the situation by making sure that the environment is well taken care of, to also avoid the breeding of female mosquitos that cause malaria and lastly, people should dump waste in their proper waste bins through sorting without mixing.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background Study

Malaria is a life-threatening disease across the world. According to FAQ-CDC (2018) malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infect a certain type of mosquitoes which feeds on humans. The disease is a great drain on many national Seconomics, since many countries with malaria are already among the poor nations; the disease maintains a vicious cycle of disease and poverty, with majority of the cases occurring on the African continent followed by south East Asian countries, and Eastern Mediterranean countries. In 2018, there were an estimated 228 million cases of malaria (CDC, 2018) and in 2017; 231 million were recorded to have decreased. Between 2010 and 2019 (4 December 2019, WHO), about 82 to 67 cases per thousand-people were at risk. Although malaria is being treatable and avoidable, to some extent it also continues to have a negative impact on human health and its subsistence [1].

Sub-Saharan African countries remain endemic for Malaria; it bears the highest morbidity and mortality rates. The risk of malaria is pronounced with frequent out breaks due to seasonality of the transmission (WHO, 2018). In such cases, children often harbor malaria parasites but without clinical symptoms [1]. Malaria in Cameroon is still an important public health threat with the whole country exposed to the risk of transmission [1, 2].

In Cameroon, malaria endemicity greatly varies according to ecological environment. Cameroon is among the 15 highest burden malaria countries and has 3% of all global malaria cases. In 2018 (National statistics from 2015) notes that in health facilities, 19% of deaths were attributed to malaria and 48% of all hospital admissions were due to the suspicion of severe malaria. Although significant progress has been made in the recent past, the disease remains prevalent with a high number of suspected cases in health care facilities varying between 3.3-3.7 million per year [1]. Malaria transmission is highly heterogeneous with high and perennial parasite transmission occurring in the forest, coastal and humid savanna and low parasite transmission in highlands and seasonal parasite.

Cameroon government’s subsidy on artemisinin therapy (ACT) for uncomplicated malaria, free distribution of insecticide, treated bed nets to pregnant women and under-fives have been more of a top dawn approach with affected communities mainly at receiving end. Challenge of failed adherence to test result, drugs and insecticide resistance sub-standard and self-medication. Strategies that will promote community participation in prevention and mitigating the effect of poverty towards achievement of the sustainable development goals target for malaria. Vulnerable population such as displaced persons, nomads, orphans, prisoners and refugees continue to have limited access to anti-malaria services.

In the Buea Municipality, South west Region of Cameroon, There exist different communities of the indigenous people. They are communities that lives within geographically distinct ancestral territories and constitutes 6% of the global population, they account for about 15% of the extreme poor. Due to the rapid increasing pandemic malaria, these group of people faces a lot of economic challenges in providing adequate health care facilities for themselves as most medication are very expensive for them to afford or purchase, and thus they are most vulnerable to malaria infection. This could be because they have left their environments which were free from malaria to urban areas which have a great negative impact on them due to climate change. Vulnerabilities to the pandemic with lack of access to national health water and sanitation (WASH) system (in the case of the mbororo population).

1.2. Statement Of Problem

In the southwest region of Cameroon, there exist different communities of the indigenous population. They account for about 15% of the extreme poor due to the rapid increasing pandemic malaria. This group of people faces a lot economic challenges in providing adequate health care facilities for themselves as most medication is very expensive and thus there are most vulnerable to malaria infection.

This is also because in the case of the mbororo population, they left their former space where by their normal medication was based on the knowledge of tradition herbs in the rural areas to the urban centers where modern use of hospital drugs became very expensive for this group of population to afford. Hence, it is an economic challenge to this group of persons as more money for malaria treatment is demanding.

In addition, the indigenous population is the most affected segments of society with differences in health indication compared to the national average such as mortality indexes, malnutrition, and high rate of morbidity due to preventable causes. The limiting factors of access to health services due to geographical, economic and cultural barriers are problem that affects the majority of indigenous populations.

These factors provides a true challenge to find health solutions that accord to cultural characteristics, such as language, traditions, beliefs and cosmos vision. The indigenous peoples, who make up more critical extreme of social exclusion in Buea-Fako account for highest level of respiratory diseases such as tuberculosis and vector borne disease such as malaria [13] such poverty is described as ‘’abysmal’’ by the Banco mundial, and ‘’massive and profound’’ by the national government [14].

Furthermore, social and cultural aspects that are related to malaria and its prevention and treatment, example housing, poverty, education, knowledge, attitudes and practices of a population, help explain and there by improve implementation of designed interventions [6].

Although several analysis point out the cause of health situation of indigenous population, the solution places emphasis in health services to concentrate exclusively on cultural characteristics of such population. It is fundamental to promote actions that produce intercultural relations which allow dialogue and respect in any approach to intervention [7]. From the above mentioned calls for an urgent necessity to carry on this project.

1.3. Research Questions

  Main Question

What are the economic challenges against malaria within the indigenous population in the Buea municipality?

Specific Question

1. What is the spatial prevalence of malaria within the indigenous population?
2. What is the economic constraint that this population faces?
3. What strategy can be designed to reduce malaria prevalence in the Buea municipality?

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