Cameroon: 40 years of humanitarian dedication

HIV/AIDS: free access to treatment

From 2001 to 2014, MSF significantly improved HIV/AIDS care in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé by providing free antiretroviral (ARV) treatment at a time when only the wealthiest people could afford to buy anti-HIV medication, despite a national HIV prevalence rate of 11 per cent.

MSF set up four projects focused on the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, with the support of the MSF’s Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines Starting in January 2001, more than 50,000 HIV-positive people accessed free ARV treatment through these projects.

Improving Buruli ulcer treatment

In 2002, MSF identified more than 200 people with the neglected tropical disease Buruli ulcer in Akonolinga, in Centre region. Working with the local Ministry of Health and Geneva University Hospitals, MSF launched a response, which included the introduction of more effective and more comfortable wound dressings for people with the disease.

Between 2002 and 2014, MSF also trained local healthcare professionals in caring for patients with Buruli ulcer and helped set up the Cameroon Association for Wound Care (ACPC), an initiative to enhance patient care in a sustainable manner.

Emergency responses to humanitarian crises

MSF has launched several emergency interventions in response to health and humanitarian crises in Cameroon, including:

· Chadian refugee crisis (1989 and 2008): Violence in neighbouring Chad drove more than 30,000 people to seek refuge in Cameroon, where MSF provided them with medical assistance.

· Central African refugee crisis (2007–16): Following episodes of violence in neighbouring Central African Republic, refugees crossed into eastern Cameroon, where MSF provided medical consultations and distributed clean drinking water.

· Nigerian refugee crisis (2015–17): After refugees from Nigeria sought shelter in Cameroon, MSF conducted some 110,000 medical consultations and distributed thousands of litres of clean drinking water in Minawao refugee camp. MSF also expanded the capacity of nearby hospitals and reinforced hospital medical teams.

· Violence in Northwest and Southwest regions (2018–22): MSF helped ensure that victims of violence had access to medical care by providing medical treatment, surgical care and malnutrition treatment. MSF also operated the only functional ambulance service in the violence-hit regions. It’s also the first time, MSF teams was forced to withdraw his activities while responding in the country. As consequence, a major impact for the populations affected by armed violence in those regions who seeing access to medical services.

Since the early 2000s, MSF has also supported national efforts during various health crises, including cholera epidemics in the Far North, Centre, South and East regions, and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, MSF cared for more than 1,500 patients with COVID-19 in the hardest-hit regions, alongside raising awareness of the disease and running vaccination campaigns.

Ongoing crisis in the Far North

The humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad Basin has worsened since the 2000s, fuelled by armed conflict, epidemics and climate change. In Mora, MSF teams continue to provide emergency surgery, mental health services, and treatment for diseases such as malaria.

In 2024, MSF upgraded Mora district hospital to help it meet people’s growing medical needs. Since January, MSF surgeons have performed 1,087 surgeries. “With this modernisation, we can now handle diverse surgical cases according to international standards,” says MSF head of mission Alexis Bahati.

A future defined by commitment

For 40 years, MSF has responded to humanitarian challenges in Cameroon with the help of strong partnerships with authorities and local communities. MSF’s enduring commitment includes developing innovative approaches to address people’s most urgent medical needs.