A simple solution keeping communities in Cameroon hydrated and healthy
One day in July 2023, Rachel and Irene from the Cameroon Red Cross Society were out and about in Bamvele village, Cameroon, running routine health promotion activities as part of the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3).
They'd called a community meeting and were in the middle of sharing important messages about detecting and preventing infectious diseases, when someone caught Rachel's eye.
'We were in the middle of our session when I saw one lady in particular who was doing her washing and listening really closely. When we finished, she approached us to ask us questions. It was at this point she told us about her mother who had been experiencing diarrhoea for two days and who was lying down at home,' she Rachel.
The young woman's name was Najassa. She explained that seeing her mother weak and bedridden for two days had made her extremely worried. But Rachel and Irene reassured her that they could put her mother on the road to recovery using three ingredients she likely already had at home.
They proceeded to show Najassa how to prepare something called Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) —a medically formulated drink used to prevent or treat dehydration caused by diarrhoea or vomiting. ORS works by quickly restoring a person's fluids and essential minerals and is a vital tool in the fight against diarrhoeal diseases, which remain one of the leading causes of death in low-income countries.
Rachel and Irene taught Najassa to mix one litre of drinking water, eight sugar cubes and two to three pinches of salt in a bottle—shaking well to make sure everything was properly combined. They then told her to give the drink to her mother and keep preparing it for her until she felt better.
'As soon as I started drinking the solution, I felt my strength come back. My daughter asked me 'mum, have you drunk all the medicine yet? The Red Cross told me you have to finish it. I'm going to make you some more.' I finished it all, and by the third day I was no longer suffering from diarrhoea. I trust the Red Cross because the medicine they gave me stopped my diarrhoea, it cured me,' says Amina, Najassa's mother.
Thankfully, Amina made a full recovery. And beyond Amina's own personal experience, Rachel and Irene have noticed tangible behaviour change within the community in Bamvele when it comes to protecting themselves from and preventing disease outbreaks.
'We've noticed that now, when people are struck by diarrhoea, they prepare ORS themselves because we've shown them how to do it and they are happy. It's really heartwarming to see,' explains Rachel.
Their disease prevention efforts, and those of so many more Cameroon Red Cross staff and volunteers, are also recognized by local health authorities.
'The Red Cross plays an important role in supporting our epidemic preparedness and response activities. They're heavily involved in awareness-raising activities at the community level and provide us with logistical and technical support. The Red Cross and health really go hand in hand,' explains Dr Diane Foe from Cameroon's Delegation of Public Health in the East region.
As for Najassa, she feels the help and health knowledge she received from the Cameroon Red Cross will stay with her for years to come.
'If I see someone in my community suffering from this kind of diarrhoea, I'm going to do the same thing I did for my mum. I'll make the solution the Red Cross taught me about. It's so effective. You can do it at home and it gives you strength so you can get to the hospital.'
'Rachel made sure to call me several days later to make sure my mother was okay. She really is an angel for our community. Without the Red Cross, I don't know where my mother would be right now. So I thank them from the bottom of my heart.'
The activities featured in this article are part of the multi-country Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3).
Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), CP3 supported communities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and other partners to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to disease threats.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
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