Papers by Blaise Nguendo Yongsi
Lancaster University, Feb 28, 2021
The good, bad & ugly of Covid-19 communication 2) Africa: Communication Strategies for Combatting... more The good, bad & ugly of Covid-19 communication 2) Africa: Communication Strategies for Combatting Covid-19 3) Canada: Visual communication guidelines 4) Brazil: Public Healthcare access for older people 5) USA: Design thinking and emancipatory public health 6) Mexico: Space adaptation fo social interaction 7) USA: Visualising college students lives during the Pandemic
Cities & Health, 2021
ABSTRACT The current rapid, often unplanned urbanisation across Asia has wide-ranging economic, e... more ABSTRACT The current rapid, often unplanned urbanisation across Asia has wide-ranging economic, environmental, health, and social impacts. In an attempt to document the implications of this demographic transition, the Journal of Cities & Health in collaboration with the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH) launched a special issue. This special issue is composed of seven original research papers and one commentary that present a fair geographical coverage of urban Asia. This scholarship aims to: 1) enhance the state-of-the-art understanding of health risks, social vulnerability and adaptation policies in cities across Asia; 2) present case studies where local contexts were taken into consideration to respond to local health needs and cultural preferences; 3) highlight new evidence of health risks and the impact of the built environment; and 4) examine the use of emerging digital technologies and big data across diverse sectors for a more sustainable urban living environment. In the current context of COVID-19, new challenges, insights, and opportunities for change have arisen. Specifically, some crowded Asian cities offer successful approaches in battling early outbreaks of COVID-19 and provide a model for keeping the pandemic at bay, even if they can’t completely eliminate infections. Asian cities can make changes to design spatially distanced transport and recreation opportunities and the long-term implications for both infectious and chronic diseases. This editorial challenges urban policymakers to better align city planning processes with societal goals and public values, for sustainability, health and health equity, and to hold the people of the city as the central plank in all planning processes.
Narra J
Infectious threats to humans are continuously emerging. The 2022 worldwide monkeypox outbreak is ... more Infectious threats to humans are continuously emerging. The 2022 worldwide monkeypox outbreak is the latest of these threats with the virus rapidly spreading to 106 countries by the end of September 2022. The burden of the ongoing monkeypox outbreak is manifested by 68,000 cumulative confirmed cases and 26 deaths. Although monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease, patients can suffer from extremely painful skin lesions and complications can occur with reported mortalities. The antigenic similarity between the smallpox virus (variola virus) and monkeypox virus can be utilized to prevent monkeypox using smallpox vaccines; treatment is also based on antivirals initially designed to treat smallpox. However, further studies are needed to fully decipher the immune response to monkeypox virus and the immune evasion mechanisms. In this review we provide an up-to-date discussion of the current state of knowledge regarding monkeypox virus with a special focus on innate immune response, imm...
Journal of Oral Health and Community Dentistry
Background: Oral hygiene is a set of practices aiming to remove dental plaque on the surface of t... more Background: Oral hygiene is a set of practices aiming to remove dental plaque on the surface of the teeth. Although its importance is recognized in public oral health, dental health status of the population is far to be well understood. Research objectives: This study aims to describe oral hygiene habits and practices and to highlight the status of oral hygiene among a younger population. Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study in 1,629 individuals aged 5-17 years was carried out. Those individuals were selected among the 50 enumerated areas that make up the city. We resort to a quantitative approach (using descriptive methods) and to qualitative technique in order to well understand adolescents' practices regarding dental hygiene. Results: The study revealed that 82.1% of the respondents brush their teeth, but in an irregular or once daily (78.3%), with very few who respect the brushing technique in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations (12.9%). The cleaning products used are varied: fluoridated toothpaste (54.7%), tooth powder (12.2%), and use of fingers and pieces of tissue (about 2%). Analysis of the debris index and the tartar index shows that the level of oral hygiene in Bafia is poor (72.2%). Learning objectives: It is important to establish oral hygiene programs or strengthen existing programs, with emphasis on the effective use of fluorides for the prevention of dental caries, promotion of oral hygiene in schools, integration of oral health into national and community health programs.
According to the United Nations Organization, the world's population is expected to increase ... more According to the United Nations Organization, the world's population is expected to increase by more than 3 billion by 2050. This increase will take place directly on the space adjacent to the cities, A peri-urban area where agricultural activity is often dominated. Although the city and its neighboring countryside have always maintained good neighborly relations, it should be remembered that the horticultural belt has long been a source of nourishment for its city and that, as different researchers have pointed out, the master market gardener has played a fundamental role between the city and the countryside. The market gardener was "rural by his work" and "urban by his habitat and his corporate organization". Today, it is incontestable that this configuration has been upset. In the countries of the North as well as in the South, the inexorable progress of the city has nibbled away at the agricultural areas that are constantly receding. This has led to the l...
Cities & Health, 2020
Statement by the scientific committee* of the International Science Council's Programme on Urban ... more Statement by the scientific committee* of the International Science Council's Programme on Urban Health and Wellbeing, on critical elements of urban health action in response to the epidemic.
Cities & Health, 2020
Africa is undergoing rapid urbanisation with migration into informal settlements. Exposure to the... more Africa is undergoing rapid urbanisation with migration into informal settlements. Exposure to these environments is associated with a rise in infectious and non-communicable diseases. Addressing these urban health challenges will require collaboration across sectors that influence health. However, the siloed nature of policymaking means that little is known about the barriers and facilitators of integrated intersectoral policy approaches for improving health through urban planning and development. Furthermore, the transdisciplinary research methodological approaches to establishing intersectoral collaboration are not well documented in Africa. We utilised participatory methods to engage a variety of stakeholders in the co-design and conduct of a transdisciplinary workshop. Through co-development processes, this workshop was designed to explore stakeholder perspectives on urban health priorities in Douala municipalities and experiences of intersectoral collaboration. We describe the process and experience of co-creation of the workshop agenda between academic, policy, private and civil society partners. We further present stakeholder experiences of intersectoral collaboration prior to the workshop, convey their understanding of the urban drivers of ill health, and discuss perspectives on strategies to mitigate these health risks through human settlement intervention. This study documents the development of a participatory transdisciplinary approach to urban health in rapidly urbanising Africa.
STUDIES ON ETHNO-MEDICINE, 2010
Sixty at risk of coronary heart disease subjects in the age group of 40-60 years were selected fr... more Sixty at risk of coronary heart disease subjects in the age group of 40-60 years were selected from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The subjects were equally divided into three groups i.e. E 1, E 2 and C respectively. Flaxseed in powdered form was supplemented at the levels of 5 and 10 g to E 1 and E 2 groups respectively for a period of two months, while C group was not supplemented. The effects of flaxseed powder were studied on nutrient and hematological profile of the subjects. After the supplementation, significant (p<0.05) decrease in the energy intake was reported in E 2 group while protein intake significantly (p<0.05) increased in E 2 group and total fat intake reduced significantly (p<0.05) in all three groups. Decrease in energy intake could be due to flaxseed supplementation which is good source of soluble fibre thus gives feeling of fullness and reduced the food intake which ultimately decreased the energy intake. The mean intake of vitamin B 2 , B 3 and vitamin C decreased in all the three groups, though it was nonsignificant. Further, an increase in haemoglobin was reported in experimental groups which could be due to presence of protein, copper, folic acid and vitamin B 6 in flaxseed which helped in hemopoesis and thus improved iron status.
The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology, Dec 7, 2017
European Scientific Journal, 2016
Background: Renal drug toxicity are affections that attacking the renal parenchyma as a result of... more Background: Renal drug toxicity are affections that attacking the renal parenchyma as a result of the consumption of drug substance. In Cameroon, anarchic consumption of medicinal drug subsequent of a growth in unauthorised sales drug increase the risk of developing these pathologies. Objective: This study aims at describing and laying the epidemiological profile of drug-induced toxic renal diseases in Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital over the last 6 years (2009-2014). Materials and methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out from the 1 st of July to the 30 th of November 2015, at the polyvalent reanimation service and the haemodialysis unit of the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital. With the aid of a questionnaire, the files of patients consulted and hospitalised in these services over a period of 6 years (1 st January 2009 to 31 st December 2014) were examined. Included in this study, patients suffering from renal drug toxicity. The data input, treatment and analysis were carried out with the help of Epi Info 7 and SPSS 22 software. Results: Forty-four (44) cases renal drug diseases representing 18.3% of the 240 files examined were noted. The average age of the patients was 48±18 years and varied between 11 and 87 years. The male sex constituted the majority of the suffers cases with a sex ratio of 2.67 (M/F). Acute renal
Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 2010
Although many African countries, along the equator, receive a great amount of rainfall and posses... more Although many African countries, along the equator, receive a great amount of rainfall and possess a dense hydrographic network, access to drinking-water remains a great challenge. In many households, water is used for various purposes, including domestic and crafts activities. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated four billion cases of diarrheoa occurs worldwide, of which 88% are ascribed to unsafe drinking-water. This study aimed at evaluating health risks in the usage of contaminated drinking-water and its relationship with the prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases in Yaoundé, Cameroon. In this cross-sectional epidemiological design, 3,034 households with children aged less than five years were investigated. Households were selected from among 20 representative neighbourhoods out of 105 that made up the city. The study revealed a diarrheoa prevalence of 14.4% (437 diarrheoa cases out of 3,034 children tested). Among various risk factors examined, water-supply modes and quality of drinking-water were statistically associated with diarrheoa cases. Moreover, levels of diarrheoa attacks varied considerably from one neighbourhood to the other. The spatial analysis helped determine neighbourhoods of higher and lower prevalence of diarrheoa in the city.
The Journal of Developing Areas, 2008
On the eve of the 1978, the World Health Organization has had a conference marked by the Alma Ata... more On the eve of the 1978, the World Health Organization has had a conference marked by the Alma Ata Declaration regarding primary health care. From this conference, the Cameroonian government took upon itself to guarantee equity on health care within the framework of a development policy oriented towards attaining social justice and assuring "health for all by the year 2000". It is from this perspective that, in 2002, a research program based on health in the urban settings was conducted in order to examine the status of health of the population. The objective of this study was to identify diarrhea risk factors in the city and to measure their prevalence and establish their spatial distribution in order to be able to evaluate the degree of progress achieved in the area of infant health since 1978. Microbiological tests revealed a diarrhea prevalence of 14.4%. Amongst all risk factors examined, the standard of living of households was closely linked to the incidence of diarrhea in Yaoundé. In addition, it was established that the incidence of diarrhea varied considerably from individual and area level.
Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, 2007
Archives of Medical Research, 2007
While the public health threat of HIV/AIDS in developing countries has drawn increasing attention... more While the public health threat of HIV/AIDS in developing countries has drawn increasing attention from the international community for more than two decades, other health problems such as diarrheal diseases continue to contribute to higher morbidity and mortality rates in much of the developing world. This literature review is an account of both the history and current risks associated with diarrheal diseases.
Les problemes de sante, lies a la rapide croissance des villes constituent une des problematiques... more Les problemes de sante, lies a la rapide croissance des villes constituent une des problematiques majeures actuelles des pays en developpement. En 2002 et 2005, un programme interdisciplinaire «Populations et Espaces a Risques SANitaires» (PERSAN) a ete mis sur pied au Cameroun, sous les auspices de l'IRD. Centre sur les enfants âges de 6 a 59 mois, ce programme visait entre autres objectifs a mesurer la prevalence des maladies diarrheiques et d'identifier les agents qui en sont a l'origine, tout cela pour evaluer les progres realises dans le domaine de la sante infantile par le gouvernement camerounais depuis l'adoption de la Declaration d'Alma-Ata sur les «soins de sante primaires» et de l'engagement pour une «sante pour tous en l'an 2000». Les examens microbiologiques realises dans le cadre de cette etude epidemiologique transversale ont revele une prevalence diarrheique de 14,4 % (437 cas de diarrhees sur les 3034 enfants examines). Parmi les 437 cas ...
M@ppemonde, 2008
Les maladies diarrhéiques constituent un problème majeur de santé publique pour le Cameroun. En d... more Les maladies diarrhéiques constituent un problème majeur de santé publique pour le Cameroun. En dépit d'une morbidité et d'une mortalité élevées et constantes, l'endémie diarrhéique demeure insuffisamment documentée. Une étude épidémiologique sur 3 034 enfants âgés de 6 à 59 mois, répartis dans 20 quartiers de Yaoundé, a été réalisée en mai 2002. Nous avons étudié la prévalence des maladies diarrhéiques et leur distribution dans l'espace urbain. Les résultats des examens microbiologiques montrent un taux moyen urbain de prévalence de 14,4%. De nombreux facteurs ont été associés à ces diarrhées dans la ville. En outre, les niveaux d'atteinte diarrhéique varient considérablement d'un quartier à un autre de la ville.
Journal of Medical Virology
The aim of this study is to provide a more accurate representation of COVID-19’s CFR by performin... more The aim of this study is to provide a more accurate representation of COVID-19’s CFR by performing meta-analyses by continents and income, and by comparing the result with pooled estimates. We used multiple worldwide data sources on COVID-19 for every country reporting COVID-19 cases. Based on the data, we performed random and fixed meta-analyses for CFR of COVID-19 by continents and income according to each individual calendar date. CFR were estimated based on the different geographical regions and level of income using three models: pooled estimates, fixed- and random-model. In Asia, all three types of CFR initially remained approximately between 2.0% and 3.0%. In the case of pooled estimates and the fixed model results, CFR increased to 4.0%, by then gradually decreasing, while in the case of random-model, CFR remained under 2.0%. Similarly, in Europe, initially the two types of CFR peaked at 9.0% and 10.0%, respectively. The random-model results showed an increase near 5.0%. In high income countries, pooled estimates and fixed-model showed gradually increasing trends with a final pooled estimates and random-model reached about 8.0% and 4.0%, respectively. In middle-income, the pooled estimates and fixed-model have gradually increased reaching up to 4.5%. in low-income countries, CFRs remained similar between 1.5% and 3.0%. Our study emphasizes that COVID-19 CFR is not a fixed or static value. Rather, it is a dynamic estimate that changes with time, population, socioeconomic factors and the mitigatory efforts of individuals countries.
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Papers by Blaise Nguendo Yongsi