An Assessment of Hygiene Practices and Health Status of Street-food Vendors in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
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Date
2014-11
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Abstract
Background: From 1993, civil servants in Cameroon were subjected to a new working
schedule, according to which, work starts every working day from 7.30am to 3.30pm with
a short lunch break from 12 noon to 1.00pm. However, this new regulation was not
accompanied by effective measures such as the creation of formal eating houses or
canteens to ensure the provision of services that could satisfy the food needs of workers.
Consequently, there has been a development and concentration of informal food vendors around public offices. While street foods are an important source of ready-to-eat
nutritious, low-cost meals for the urban poor, the health risk posed by such foods may
outweigh their benefits.
Objective: This study aims at assessing personal hygiene and health status of vendors
involved in informal sales of food in Yaoundé.
Methods: In this cross-sectional epidemiological design, 837 food vendors were
investigated through medical examinations notably stools analysis for ova and cysts of
parasites. Questionnaires were also administered to the vendors. The vendors were
selected from within the three main places in the city where people congregate: schools,
market places, and government ministries/office.
Results: The personal hygiene of a majority of street-food vendors in Yaoundé (87, 1%)
is of low and this is reflected on their health status because among the 837 food vendors
enrolled in the study, 379 were found infected with one or more faeco-orally transmissible
parasites, a 45% prevalence rate.
Conclusion: There is the need to improve the personal hygiene of food vendors in
Cameroon in order to reduce the prevalence of food-related diseases. This can be done
through adequate sensitization programmes on personal and food hygiene and the
development of food handling policies.
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Food vendors, food consumption, informal sector, personal hygiene, oro-fecal transmitted diseases, parasites, health risk, Yaoundé
Citation
Blaise Nguendo Yongsi H. An Assessment of Hygiene Practices and Health Status of Street-food Vendors in Yaoundé, Cameroon. International Journal of TROPICAL DISEASE & Health. 2014 Nov; 4(11): 1153-1170.