No abstract

With a recently established Haemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, over a hundred people living with haemophilia have been recruited and followed up at this centre. This study aimed at assessing the quality of haemophilia care provided at the HTC, in order to monitor and improve patient care. In February 2014, the HTC was assessed using recommended markers. Although few, the logistics and reagents for the diagnosis and treatment of haemophilia were available. There were seven trained workers involved with haemophilia care, but the multidisciplinary care team was incomplete. A total of 113 people living with haemophilia (all males) had been registered and regularly followed up at the HTC. This study showed that the HTC of the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital, although not yet ideal, allows for some degree of haemophilia patient care. Hence, it may be recommended to improve the centre and make it fully established in Cameroon.

Background and Objective: In sub-Saharan Africa, hemophilia remains a huge problem mainly because of ignorance of the disease, limited screening capabilities and access to treatment. This review aims to discuss the characteristics of Cameroonian patients living with hemophilia. Methods: A retrospective study was done on the data of four main reported studies between 1972 and 2010 in Cameroon. Epidemiological, clinical and biological features of PLWH in Cameroon were analyzed. Results: The mean age of the patients was between 14 and 16.2 years. All hemophiliacs reported by the studies were male. For most patients, the frequency of bleeding episodes ranged from 2-15 bleeds per year. Chronic joint complications were found in almost all patients in the 2010 study. Hemophilia A was more common than B, representing 88.4% and 87.5% in the 2008 and 2010 studies respectively. All the 37 patients reported in the 2010 study were tested negative for HIV in spite of multiple transfusion histories. Conclusion: Some features of hemophilia in Cameroon are different from those of other African countries. However, as in many countries, the biggest long term challenge is the constant availability of clotting factors concentrates for patients.