Background: Approximately 32 million pregnant women are at risk of malaria with up to 10,000 maternal deaths and 200,000 neonates at risk annually. Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to reduce disease in pregnancy and adverse maternal and newborn outcomes. At least three doses of SP should be taken by pregnant women during antenatal consultation (ANC) beginning from the thirteenth week of pregnancy till parturition. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of IPT during pregnancy and risk factors for maternal anaemia and infant birth weight in Dschang, West region of Cameroon. Methods: A total of 380 consenting pregnant women at delivery were recruited in a cross- sectional prospective survey between January to December 2021. Data on ANC attendance, total dose of IPT and history of malaria were abstracted from hospital ANC records while socio-demographic characteristics, bed net use and obstetrics history of each participant were also recorded through an interview. Further, blood samples were collected from the intervillous space for assessment of maternal anaemia and microscopic parasitology. Nested PCR based on amplification of the Plasmodium 18S sRNA was carried out to detect submicroscopic infection. IPTp coverage was calculated per WHO recommendation and the prevalence of anaemia and low birth weight were estimated as proportions in the total sample of pregnant women and live births, respectively. Crude and adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were used to estimate associations between pregnancy outcomes considered and risk factors in specific and general models. A p < 0.05 was considered significant. The R software (V4.1.4) was used for all analyses. Results: A majority of pregnant women was aged between 24 and 34 years old (59.2%) and had secondary education (58.8%). Uptake of ≥ 3 IPTp was 64.99% with 77.20% of all who received at least one IPTp doses taking a mix of SP and DP or DP alone in successive ANC contacts. Those with four or more ANC contacts (73.42%) were more likely to have received at least one IPTp. Furthermore, 13.9% of live births had low birthweights (BW < 2500 g) and one in four parturient women with moderate anaemia by WHO criteria. Microscopy (blood smear examination) and PCR-based diagnosis revealed between 0% and 1.57% of parasite-infected placental samples, respectively. Reported malaria in pregnancy predicted maternal anaemia at birth but not birth weight. Only gestational age (< 37 weeks) and bed net use (< 5 months) significantly predicted infant birth weight at delivery. Conclusion: The uptake of WHO recommended IPT doses during pregnancy was moderately high. Reported malaria in pregnancy, poor bed net coverage, gestational age less than 37 weeks adversely affect maternal haemoglobin levels at birth and infant birth weight. Asymptomatic and submicroscopic placental parasite infections was found at low prevalence. Together these results highlight the importance of maintaining aggressive measures to prevent malaria in pregnancy and protect the health of mother and baby.

Background. Malaria is one of the major public health problems in many tropical developing countries including Cameroon. Impregnated mosquito bed nets are one of the control measures put in place by the WHO and adopted by the Cameroons Ministry of Public Health to fight against malaria in pregnancy. This study was a population-based cross-sectional study that investigated the level of adherence, respondents knowledge, altitude, and practices toward malaria prevention and control. Methods. To investigate this, a sample size of 410 pregnant women who were inhabitants of Foumban Subdivision was examined. Data on net ownership versus usage, pregnancy status, and socioeconomic background were collected using a questionnaire. Parasitological tests for malaria parasites were carried out using peripheral blood samples obtained from finger pricks of the pregnant women for the preparation of thick blood smear and RDTs. Results. Two hundred and eighteen tested positive (53.4) with the highest prevalence occurring during the first trimester (79.6) and in primigravidae (68.8). Participants believed that mosquito bed nets can protect them against malaria infection. The highest number (81.0) of the women who had mosquito nets acquired them during antenatal visits. Among those who possessed nets, 42.7 adhered to sleeping under them and few (50) experienced problems of sweating, discomfort, and heat. Also, the study revealed a high prevalence rate of 63.8 for those who did not use nets during pregnancy as compared to those who owned and used them. Conclusion. The findings indicated that increased access to impregnated mosquito bed nets is required to lower the risk of malaria infection amongst pregnant women. The Cameroon government should improve health education to families within the locality and pursue an integrated approach to fight against mosquitoes during the rainy season.

Background. Infection with intestinal nematodes is of major public health concern worldwide, and school-age children and pregnant women are the principal victims. The present study was undertaken to provide baseline information on the status of gastrointestinal nematodes among school-age children in Bamendjou. Material and Methods. Four hundred and ninety-three (493) stool samples were collected from school children in six (6) different schools (two nursery, two primary, and two secondary schools). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of stool samples were done using the simple flotation and McMaster count techniques, respectively. Results. Among the 493 participants, 57 (11.6%) stool samples were positive for at least one nematode species. Four nematodes are as follows: Ascaris sp., Trichuris sp., hookworms, and Strongyloides sp. with respective prevalence and intensities of infection of 6.1% and $2260\pm 6377.98$ , 3.4% and $223.53\pm 264.054$ , 3.0% and $416.67\pm 427.061$ , and 0.2% and $200\pm 00$ , respectively. The data on the prevalence of nematodes with respect to sex showed that females (13.1%) were more infected than males (12.2%) ( $P>0.05$ ). Furthermore, with respect to age, older children were more infected than younger ones. Cases of double parasitism were encountered with a prevalence of 1.2%. According to the fecal concentration of eggs, 61.90% of the infections were light. Risk factors such as drinking water from streams and not wearing shoes all the time were significant with infections. Conclusion. The relatively low overall prevalence (11.6%) obtained in this study shows that the national deworming campaign is proving effective, though a more holistic approach is required to prevent infections from bouncing back after such campaigns.

Background. Reduction of oxidative stress during malaria infection is considered as being of great benefit so long as treatment and drug development approaches are concerned. This study had the aim of evaluating the antimalarial and antioxidant activities of the ethanolic extract of Terminalia macroptera in Swiss albino mice infected with the Plasmodium berghei NK65 strain. Methods. In vivo, the antiplasmodial activity of the plant ethanolic extract was tested in a four-day suppressive and curative assay using P. berghei in Swiss albino mice. The extract was administered to the mice at doses of 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg per day. Then, parameters, such as parasite suppression and survival time of the mice, were evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of plant extract on liver damage, oxidative stress indicators, and lipid profile changes in P. berghei-infected mice were studied. Results. Administration of T. macroptera significantly suppressed P. berghei infection by 55.17%, 70.69%, and 71.10% at doses of 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg, respectively, whereas chloroquine had 84.64% suppression relative to the untreated group 1% Dimethyl sulfoxide (1% DMSO) at day 4 (post-infection) in the four-day suppressive test. This suppression activity rate was dose-dependent. The curative test also presented a significant reduction in parasitemia and an extension of the survival time of the treated groups. Treatment of infected parasitized mice with the extract of T. macroptera had a significant ( $p<0.05$ ) reduction in parameters, such as total protein, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase. Infection may also lead to a significant increase in the enzymatic activity of liver catalase and superoxide dismutase compared with the normal control group. The non-enzymatic antioxidant activity in parasitized mice was significantly reduced in malondialdehyde and increased in glutathione and nitric oxide when compared with the normal control group. Conclusions. These findings support the ethnobotanical use of T. macroptera stem bark as an antimalarial remedy coupled with antioxidant activity. However, further in vivo toxicity tests are required to ascertain its safety.

Background. Vaginal or genitourinary infections are a major cause of morbidity, sterility, and increase in the vulnerability to cancers and HIV/AIDS infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vaginal infections ofC. albicans,G. vaginalis, andT. vaginalisamong women in the locality of Dschang, West Region of Cameroon.Method. A prospective study was carried out in the District Hospital of Dschang. After obtaining informed consent, one thousand and one (1001) samples of vaginal swabs were collected. Biological diagnosis was carried out on fresh samples, Gram stained, and then cultivated in Sabouraud agar in a Petri dish, in order to isolate and identify the various infectious agents.Results. Five hundred and twenty-five (525) women were diagnosed positive, hosting at least one of these microorganisms, making an overall prevalence of 52.44%. Two hundred and fifty-six (256) women (25.57%) were infected withC. albicans, and 171 (17.08%) withG. vaginalis.Ninety-five (9.49%) were infected with bothC. albicansandG. vaginalis, 2 (0.20%) withC. albicansandT. vaginalis, and 1 (0.1%) withG. vaginalisandT. vaginalis.Conclusion. Drastic measures should be taken in order to improve life styles to regress the frequency of these infections. Results obtained in this study, will help to educate and shed more light on the prevalence of vaginal infections in the West Region of Cameroon.

Introduction. Resistance to common antimalarial drugs and persistence of the endemicity of malaria constitute a major public health problem in Cameroon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antiplasmodial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Bridelia micrantha used by Cameroonian traditional healers for the treatment of malaria. Methods. Aqueous and ethanolic stem bark extracts were prepared according to standard procedures. The SYBR Green method was used for antiplasmodial activity on strains of Plasmodium falciparum sensitive to chloroquine (3D7) and resistant (Dd2). In vitro antioxidant activities of B. micrantha were determined using the scavenging activity of 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl, nitric oxide, ferric reducing power, and hydrogen peroxide as well as their cytotoxicity on RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and red blood cells (RBC). Results. The aqueous and ethanol extracts of Bridelia micrantha showed antiplasmodial activity on the 3D7 strain with IC₅₀ of 31.65 ± 0.79 μg/ml and 19.41 ± 2.93 μg/ml, respectively, as well as 37.64 ± 0.77 μg/ml and 36.22 ± 1.04 μg/ml for the Dd2 strain, respectively. The aqueous and ethanol extracts showed free radical scavenging properties. The IC₅₀ aqueous and ethanol extract was approximately 0.0001737 μg/ml, 42.92 μg/ml, 1197 μg/ml, 63.78 μg/ml and 4.617 μg/ml, 429.9 μg/ml, 511 μg/ml, and 69.32 μg/ml for DPPH, NO, H2O2, and FRAP, respectively, which were compared to ascorbic acid (8.610e − 005 μg/ml, 2901 μg/ml, 3237 μg/ml, and 18.57 μg/ml). The aqueous and ethanol extracts of B. micrantha were found to be nontoxic with CC₅₀ values of 950 ± 6.6 μg/ml and 308.3 ± 45.4 μg/ml, respectively. Haemolysis test showed that the two extracts were not toxic. Conclusion. These results suggest that B. micrantha can serve as an antimalarial agent. However, further studies are needed to validate the use of B. micrantha as an antimalarial.