A former chorister at the University of Buea (UB) Choir, Mesembe Michael, has died after battling with blood cancer for more than a year now.
He died on February 6 in India, where he had been receiving treatment for blood cancer and a tumour that affected his liver and spleen.
When the 30-year-old travelled to Dubai in 2021, it was a joyous moment for his family members, who thought he would make some money to help uplift the family’s status.
But little did they know that, barely a year later, Mesembe would unfortunately be brought back to Cameroon on a sick bed.
He fell sick in 2022 and was taken to a Dubai hospital, where he was diagnosed with blood cancer. Doctors also found out that a tumor was growing between his liver and his spleen, a critical medical condition that quickly deteriorated.
Faced with inadequate finance to follow up treatment, he was flown back to Cameroon.
Mesembe had travelled to Dubai to meet his older sister, Mesembe Frida, who had been the breadwinner of the family since the ongoing Anglophone Crisis displaced the family from Ekona, in the South West Region of Cameroon.
But upon his return to Cameroon, Mesembe’s health became the responsibility of his sister, Frida.
She reportedly spent FCFA 1 million monthly to keep him alive. But in Cameroon, people with chronic diseases like cancer find it difficult to obtain medical care, primarily due to poverty and lack of proper medical care.
Mesembe therefore had to be flown to India for treatment, at a cost of FCFA 8 million, part of which was raised through public donations.
Despite the efforts to revive him, Mesembe succumbed to the predicament, leaving his family, colleagues, and friends disheartened.
He joined the University of Buea Choir in 2012 and remained a vibrant member until he travelled abroad for greener pastures.
“His life was characterised by passion, resilience, and a profound feeling of empathy for other people. Soft-spoken, gentle, and respectful are his unique trademarks,” the UB Choir said in a condolence message to Mesembe.
Every year, thousands of people in Cameroon die of cancer, a disease that is now the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for almost 10 million deaths in 2020, according to the World Health Organisation.
While experts say the disease can be treated if diagnosed early, cancer remains a growing public health concern in Cameroon, with about 39,000 people living with the disease in 2022.
