SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS PREVALENCE IN BAFOUSSAM, WEST REGION OF CAMEROON

In Cameroon, tuberculosis remains a huge challenge despite the availability of free treatment and the existence of 216 diagnosis and treatment centres. Transmission rate is constantly increasing and the rate of contraction in Bafoussam is exceptionally high because of poor sanitation and high population density. Focusing on Bafoussam, a high tuberculosis risk zone, this study provides an in-depth analysis of tuberculosis infection using GIS and epidemiological data analysis to produce a map of tuberculosis risk. This map provides insights for the fight against tuberculosis in Bafoussam, West Region and Cameroon as a whole. The study uses GIS tools (GPS, Quantum GIS 1.8 of the ESRI group) to localise Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TPM+) patients chosen within the tuberculosis detection centres in Bafoussam. Socio economic parameters (revenue, profession, marital status, number of household residents) of the TPM+ patients were acquired using questionnaires. The result shows that there were 920 new cases of TPM+ in West Region between 2009 and 2012 and 56 were recently recorded. The town of Bafoussam registered an increase in new cases of TPM+ between 2009-2012 with more than 300 cases recorded in 2009 and more than 500 in 2012. From the above statistics, it was noted that the number of registered tuberculosis patients in Cameroon as a whole and in the town of Bafoussam is high despite the existence of a national programme for the fight against tuberculosis. To reduce the incidence of tuberculosis and mortality rate in Bafoussam, it is necessary to understand the complex mechanisms link to the emergence, dispersion and spatial distribution of the etiological agents responsible for this illness.