The Israeli Embassy sponsored a health campaign in Gado Refugee Camp near Garoua Boulai in the East Region.

Sequel to a request from the United Nations, the Israeli Embassy, in collaboration with the Cameroon Paediatrician Association, last week vaccinated 5,000 Central African Republic, CAR, refugee children against polio and 5,000 others against measles in Gado Camp near Garoua Boulai in Lom and Djerem Division of the East Region.

The five-day health programme that lasted from June 8 to 12, 2014, also saw the offer of free medical consultation and medication to children under 15 by a team of four paediatricians. Speaking after the campaign that cost FCFA 1.4 million, Ambassador Nadav Cohen promised to explore the possibility of funding from other sources to assist the refugees, given that their needs are huge. He also expressed hope that other diplomatic missions and Cameroonian paediatricians will take a cue in offering assistance and volunteering their services to the refugees. He commended UN agencies for assisting with the outreach.

One of the paediatricians, Dr Ngosso Tetanye Issa, said they had to change their initial plan to carry out the health campaign in three health districts in the region by focusing on Gado Camp because of the dire situation there. The camp hosts 19,000 people, of which 12,000 are children under 15. Her colleague, Dr Tchakoute Collins, explained that children are dying of malnutrition in the camp everyday.

They also suffer from malnutrition that facilitates infection by other diseases. "Even the parents are malnourished, including breastfeeding mothers. It is a situation that demands the shedding tears," Dr Tchakoute added. He acknowledged that humanitarian agencies are doing a great job, but are faced with the daily influx of refugees who arrive with many new challenges.

Dr Ehouzou Marcelle Nina, who also took part in the health outreach, said in the face of the situation, vaccination must continue on a regular basis as 5,000 new refugees on the average flock into the camp everyday. "As a result of the conflict in CAR, vaccination campaigns have not been carried out regularly; thus the refugees are exposed to these health hazards. There is therefore a high risk of contaminating people in host communities," Dr Ehouzou warned.

In order to reduce such risks of contamination, regional health authorities have set up vaccination units at 29 official border crossing points to take care of refugees before they get to various camps. According to the UNHCR, as at May 25, 2014, the East Region had about 62,245 refugees - with 51.14 per cent being females, while about 19.55 per cent were children under five years. Since the onset of the socio-political instability in CAR in late 2013, there has been a continuous influx of refugees into the East, Adamawa and North Regions of Cameroon.