By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Tata Mbunwe
Published on 2024-02-08 14:06:41
A former member of the University of Buea (UB) Choir, Mesembe Michael, has passed away after a year-long battle with blood cancer. He died on February 6 in India, where he was receiving treatment for the cancer as well as a tumor affecting his liver and spleen.
Mesembe had traveled to Dubai in 2021 in hopes of making money to support his family, but he fell ill in 2022 and was diagnosed with blood cancer and a tumor. Due to financial constraints, he was brought back to Cameroon.
His older sister, Mesembe Frida, had been the family’s primary provider due to the ongoing Anglophone Crisis displacing the family from their home in Ekona, Cameroon. She had been spending a significant amount on Mesembe’s medical care, and the family also raised public donations to send him to India for treatment. Despite their efforts, Mesembe succumbed to his illness, leaving his family, colleagues, and friends heartbroken.
The UB Choir, of which Mesembe was a member, described him as a passionate, resilient, and empathetic person. The choir also highlighted the challenges of cancer in Cameroon, where the disease is a leading cause of death and a growing public health concern.
Every year, thousands of people in Cameroon die from cancer, and despite being treatable if diagnosed early, about 39,000 people were living with the disease in 2022.
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
