Society for Infectious Diseases commits to improve management, treatment.

The meeting, which brought together members in presential and via videoconferencing from across the country, was chaired by the CSID President, Dr Kobela Marie. 

Speaking during the event, Dr Kobela Marie said members are committed to its mission of improving the management and treatment of infectious diseases.

She further mentioned that they remain steadfast to the objective of improving the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in Cameroon as well as enhancing operational research and presenting the results obtain to the decision makers to ensure appropriate decisions or policies are made. 

“We want to improve national and international partnerships, and also improve and strengthen the training of doctors and paramedics, so that the management of infectious diseases is better organised and more effective in our country,” she stated.

On his part, the CSID Vice President, the widely celebrated Dr Kinge Thompson, said despite being a young association, the CSID has plenty of work to do, given that infectious diseases are the most frequent, reason for medical consultations in hospitals in the country. 

“We have realised that the management of infectious diseases is not optimal; not only in small hospitals, but wherever and all over. So, we have this General Assembly today, to try as much as possible to evaluate the objectives that the association has fixed for itself,” he told pressmen.

In a bid to turn the trend around, Dr Kinge outlined that the association is seeking ways of building the capacities of doctors, nurses and other collaborators in the management of infectious diseases.

While highlighting the important use of antibiotics in the treatment of certain diseases, Dr Kinge revealed that it could equally be a source of complications to many patients. 

As such, he stressed on the need for capacities of medical personnel to be strengthened on the judicious use of antibiotics in order to start slowing down emerging problems from antibiotics usage.

“If they are overused or misused, they cause problems. That is why we want to build capacity in the judicious use of antibiotics. We also want to promote research in infectious diseases,” the CSID Vice President pointed out. 

He further said: “Antibiotics are prescribed without respecting the rules and regulations. So, the first thing we believe we must do is to build capacity in our collaborators, nurses, doctors, pharmacists and all of those who handle antibiotics”. 

According to Dr Kinge, the misuse or prolonged use of antibiotics could lead to complications like resistant bacteria, gastrointestinal tract abnormalities known as gut, and even colon or breast cancers.

“We believe that we are an association which can help medical and nursing schools in the basic training of nurses and doctors. This is because if we don't do that now, the abuse of antibiotics in years to come will be a very big problem in Cameroon,” he added.

The gathering, which lasted for over four hours, enabled members of the society to discuss issues related to the future and the impact CSID wishes to make in the field of infectiology in Cameroon.

Using the Strength-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats, SWOT analysis method, members equally identified their strengths and challenges, and mapped out strategies to strengthen their impact and influence in the field of infectiology 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3463 of Tuesday June 03, 2025