Once The Eldery, Now The Youth : Epidemiological Study Of Non-Communicable Diseases Among Children Under 15 Years Of Age In Yaoundé-Cameroon

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, communicable diseases have long been among the most prominent contributors to disease burden. However, like most low-income and middle-income countries across the globe, countries in sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing a shift from disease-burden profiles dominated by communicable diseases and childhood illnesses to profiles featuring an increasing predominance of chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Objective : The main objective of this study is to investigate the magnitude of non-communicable chronic diseases at the Chantal Biya Foundation in Yaoundé. Design and participants: This is an institution-based and cross-sectional study conducted from january to december 2018. Participants were in and out patients who visited the institution and whose a medical condition was clearly diagnosed. Results : Of the 643 medical records, leading causes of visit were infectious diseases (51.1%), followed by NCDs (48.9%). Diagnosed NCDs range from sickle cell disease (5.7%), injuries (9.8%), cardiovascular diseases (12.0%), to cancers (25.0%). Conclusion There is a significant burden of NCDs among adolescents in Yaoundé. Then, interventions for primordial prevention (ie, actions to inhibit the emergence of NCD risk factors) and primary prevention (ie, actions on existing NCD risk factors), as well as educational programmes on leading modifiable behavioural risk factors and metabolic risk factors are crucial.