MSc (Microbiology) / Department of Microbiology / Background: Human Herpes Virus-8 (HHV-8) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the prevalence of HHV-8 in HIV-infected individuals in sub-Saharan Africa has not been fully described and characterized. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence and genetic subtypes of HHV-8 in an HIV-infected population in Cameroon. Methodology: KSHV/HHV-8 Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit (Advanced Biotechnologies Inc., USA) was used to detect IgG antibodies in the plasma of 406 HIV-infected outpatients of the Mutengene Baptist Health Centre, Cameroon. To detect the viral presence, a 233 bp fragment of the ORF 26 gene of HHV-8 was targeted by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in total DNA purified from patients’ whole blood. A 453 bp of the K1 gene was amplified by nested PCR, sequenced and phylogenetically analysed to infer subtypes. The online tool, Synonymous Non-synonymous Analysis Program (SNAP), was used to determine the rate of synonymous and nonsynonymous mutations in the K1 gene. The genetic variability among the derived K1 nucleotide sequences was determined by mean genetic distance analysis. Results: Of the 406 participants, an HHV-8 seroprevalence of 79.1% was obtained. There was a statistically significant association of seroprevalence with age (p= 0.00), CD4+ cell count (p= 0.02), marital status (p= 0.02) and ownership of a transistor radio set (p= 0.00). Seventy samples (23.3%) were successfully amplified for ORF 26 gene confirming the presence of replicating virus. K1 sequences were obtained for 14 of the 20 (70%) K1 amplified DNAs. The mean genetic diversity of K1 sequences ranges from 0.0%-22.3%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two infecting viral subtypes in the study cohort: subtype A5 (57.1%), and subtype B (35.7%). Greater positive selection and genetic diversity were observed in A5 subtype compared to B subtype of K1. Interestingly, one sample (BM 547) clustered with an unclassifiable sequence from South Africa. Conclusions and recommendation: This study revealed the endemicity of HHV-8 infection in the studied population, with subtypes A5 and B as the most important epidemiological genetic variants. In addition, targeting the ORF 26 region by PCR could be an approach to detect replicating virus in individuals. Further studies should investigate the association between HHV-8 infection and KS development in the study area which is endemic for HIV. This study contributes data to the HIV/HHV-8 co-infection landscape in the study area and in Africa at large.

MSc (Microbiology) / Department of Microbiology / See the attached abstract below

Thesis (MA (Political Science. International Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research has used a critical discourse analysis approach encompassing postcolonial theory and theory of media effects in order to investigate the influence of political discourse in the media upon youth’s violence in Cameroon. As a result it has been found that the use of private violence by young people in urban cities has become ordinary. Such an attitude reflects among other some aspects of youth’s lifestyle designed to cope with the hardship of their social status and to resist the elite’s dominance. While no counter-narrative has been found in the independent publications about the portrayal of youth’s violence as criminal by the state-owned press, the young people nevertheless have produced through a street culture a narrative deconstructing the political discourse in the media and highlighting their grievances in a more or less violent tone. Thus the use of private violence during the riot in February 2008, is far from an isolated (re)action of angry young people , it obeys the very practicality of their existence and the political turmoil it might cause is incidental to the way of life in which it is embedded. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsing het ‘n kritiese diskoers analise-benadering gebruik wat ‘n postkoloniale teorie en ‘n teorie van media-effekte insluit om sodoende die invloed van politieke diskoers in die media op jeuggeweld in Kameroen, te ondersoek. Daar is gevolglik gevind dat die gebruik van private geweld deur jongmense in stedelike gebiede normaal geword het. So ‘n houding reflekteer onder andere sommige aspekte van die jeug se leefstyl wat ontwerp is om die ontbering van hul sosiale status te hanteer en ook die elite se dominasie te weerstaan. Ofskoon geen teen-narratief sover gevind is in die onafhanklike publikasies oor die uitbeelding van jeuggeweld as krimineel en die publikasies van die staatsbeheerde pers wat die jeug uitbeeld met min agentskap nie, het jongmense wel ‘n teen-narratief geskep deur ‘n straat-kultuur. Hierdie teen-narratief dekonstruktueer die politieke diskoers in die media en onderstreep hul griewe in ‘n geweldadige toon. Dus die gebruik van private geweld gedurende die onluste in Februarie 2008, wat nie as ‘n geïsoleerde (re)aksie van woedende jongmense gesien kan word nie, is getrou aan die wese van hulle bestaan en die politieke onrus wat dit moontlik mag veroorsaak, is bykomstig tot die leefstyl waarin dit vasgelê is.”

"May 2004" / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 243-270) / xviii, 270 leaves : ill. (some col.), maps ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Social Sciences, Discipline of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2004

This study has been motivated by the observation made in urban centres of Cameroon, that many Catholics are getting involved in divine, faith or spiritual healing ministry; something that has not been the case few years ago. A closer look at this phenomenon revealed that, not only the people were committing to the ministry, but the influence was external to the Catholic Church. With the gradual expansion of Pentecostalism in the cities and towns of the country, with its emphasis on healing, healing ministry became more of a necessity for other churches. The Roman Catholic Church having neglected this ministry over centuries is at the crossroad. And the question is to know how Catholic healing ministers can improve their healing ministry with elements borrowed from Pentecostal churches. In a fieldwork in Cameroonian city of Yaoundé, 20 interviews were conducted: 10 from the catholic side and 10 from the Pentecostal side represented by The Apostolic Church Cameroon. These data were analysed by the Thematic Analysis method. The analysis and the reflection that followed brought to light that there are different types of healing ministers operating in our cities but not all of them are actually doing what needs to be done. At this, Jesus Christ is presented as the model of healing for ministers to imitate; because Jesus did not heal for his own glory and interest rather for the infinite glory of God and for the salvation of the vulnerable people. The study states that ecumenism between Catholics and Pentecostal can well be initiated from healing ministry through a set of identified recommendations. KEY WORDS: Roman Catholic Church, Faith Healing, Healing ministry, Pentecostalism and Charismatic Churches. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The objective of this study was to determine the factors which can affect the adoption of e-banking in Cameroon. To conduct that research, we tried to understand how demographic characteristics, attitudes and social influences impact on the customer’s decision to adopt e-banking; to investigate barriers and challenges with regard to the adoption of e-banking; to identify the differences in perception regarding e-banking between e-banking users and non-users; and to determine whether or not e-banking offers more opportunities in comparison with the traditional banking system used in Cameroon. Through an in-depth interview and questionnaires filled by bank’s customer, the factors influencing the adoption of e-banking in Cameroon were identified. These were demographic factors such as age, income, educational level and occupation. Psychological factors such as perceptions of relative advantage, compatibility, complexity and perceived cost were also identified. Perceived risk was found to have a negative impact on e-banking adoption. A measure of the relationship between the factors and the adoption of e-banking was determined. Negative perceptions and attitudes influence the decision-making process, resulting in negative consumer behaviour outcomes. Social influences, including the opinions of friends, parents and colleagues, were found to have an influence on e-banking adoption. With regard to the research objectives that identified factors discouraging customers from using e-banking, the lack of trust, lack of information, lack of knowledge and perceived risk by non-users hindered the adoption of e-banking. Challenges and barriers with regard to e-banking adoption were also identified, namely resistance to change by bank employees, lack of knowledge, absence of e-laws and legislation for e-banking, absence of a proper telecommunications infrastructure and shortage of IT training. This research is especially valuable for the Cameroon banking industry, as the findings will provide insights for banks interested in implementing e-banking strategies. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

This study explores and critically analyses the lived experiences of female inmates in six selected prisons in Cameroon. The study contributes to the available knowledge regarding prison conditions from the perspectives of female inmates– a subject which has been under researched globally and has received little attention from researchers in Cameroon. The Cameroon Penitentiary Regulation (CPR) professes to be gender neutral and, therefore, it ignores the special needs of female inmates. The central research question is: How do the national policies and laws on prison conditions in Cameroon relate to the lived and narrated experiences of female inmates? The study is informed by two major frameworks, namely, Foucault’s analytical framework from his seminal work Discipline and Punish (1977) and a feminist analytical framework, standpoint feminism, which fills the gap in Foucault’s thesis that is largely devoid of gender analysis. The study is qualitative, using in-depth interviews and observations. It involved a sample of 38 research participants, comprising 18 female inmates, 18 prison staff members and two NGO representatives. The findings reveal that both international and national ratified policies are merely “paperwork”, lacking effective implementation in the prisons selected for this study. There is a general lack of infrastructural facilities in prisons and this prevents classification as suggested by the CPR 1992 and ratified international instruments. In general, there was a lack of educational and other training facilities in all the prisons visited. The few educational facilities available were those supported by NGOs and FBOs, suggesting that, without their presence in prisons, prison conditions would have been even more appalling than the findings revealed. Torture and corporal punishment were meted out to female inmates, regardless of the regular visits by human rights organisations to prisons. There are no provisions made for conjugal visits in the prisons. Same-sex relationships exist in Cameroonian prisons, either because of sexual preference or as a substitute for heterosexual relationships. The reform of the dated CPR 1992 and the Cameroon Penal Code 1967 is essential. Such reform should take into consideration both the specific needs of female inmates and current debates on the imprisonment of women. / Sociology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Sociology)

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The motive for this research was to provide clarity on the increasingly divergent opinions on the role and behaviour of South African companies in the rest of the African continent. The key question that can be asked is: “Are South African investments, saviour or villain of African Development” (Thomas, 2007)? Are they “exporting Apartheid” (Mkhabela, 2007) or are the fears raised against South African companies unfounded? The primary research objective of this study is to assess MTN-C’s contribution to the economic development of Cameroon. The specific research questions addressed in this study are: 1. What are the possible areas of economic impact? 2. How can the effects of MTN-C’s presence in Cameroon be measured—both qualitatively and quantitatively? 3. What recommendations can be made to MTN-C? To answer these questions, the researcher takes a multi-dimensional view of the economic impact across eight areas, viz., inflow of foreign direct capital, interaction with government, training and development of local staff, employment creation, local procurement, spread of local shareholding, the local mobile communications sector and corporate social investment initiatives. She assesses each of the above-mentioned eight elements and then draws some conclusions on what is perceived to be the true effect of MTN-C’s investments in Cameroon. After close to three years of in-depth research, which included several trips to Cameroon, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, direct observation, group discussions and survey research, it can be concluded that MTN-C has indeed had a positive impact in areas like Corporate Social Investment, training and development of local staff, employment creation and the inflow of foreign capital. However, much still needs to be done. The areas that have been identified as weak include the development of local suppliers, the interaction with government and the spread of local shareholding. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie is gemotiveer deur die soeke na groter helderheid met betrekking tot uiteenlopende beoordelings van die rol en optrede van Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings in die res van die Afrika-kontinent. Die kernvraag is: “Are South African investments saviour or villains of African development?” (Thomas, 2007) Is hulle besig om apartheid “uit te voer” (Mkhabela, 2007) of is dié vrese teenoor Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings ongegrond? Die primêre navorsingsoogmerk is die beoordeling van MTN Cameroon se bydrae tot die ekonomiese ontwikkeling in Kameroen. Spesifiek drie vrae word aangespreek. 1. Watter dimensies word ingesluit in ‘n studie van die “ekonomiese impak”? 2. Hoe kan die invloed van MTN Cameroon se teenwoordigheid in dié land gemeet word – sowel kwalitatief asook kwantitatief? 3. Watter aanbevelings kan op grond van dié beoordelings aan die maatskappy gemaak word? Om hierdie vrae te beantwoord word ‘n multi-dimensionele benadering gevolg, gebaseer op agt verskillende invloed-gebiede. Hulle sluit in die invloei van buitelandse kaptiaal, interaksie met die regering, opleiding en ontwikkeling van plaaslike werknemers, werkskepping, plaaslike aankope, die verspreiding van plaaslike aandeelhouding, die mobiele kommunikasiebedryf en sosiale investerings-inisiatiewe. Elkeen van dié elemente word ontleed op grond van vraelys-reaksies en ander insigte. Dit lei tot gevolgtrekkings op elkeen van die vlakke, wat tesame die volle omvang van die betrokkenheid weerspieël. Na drie jaar se interaksie van die navorser met Kameroen, diepte-onderhoude met vername rolspelers, direkte waarnemings, groepbesprekings en 40 voltooide vraelyste kom sy tot die gevolgtrekking dat MTN Cameroon wel ‘n positiewe rol speel in gebiede soos korporatiewe sosiale investerings, opleiding, werkskepping en die invloei van kapitaal, maar dat daar nog heelwat ruimte vir verbeterings is, veral wat plaaslike aankope, interaksie met die regering en plaaslike aandeelhouding betref.