Cameroon

SEE International’s Work in Cameroon

Cameroon is a Central African nation located on the Gulf of Guinea. While the country spends more money on healthcare than many other Sub-Saharan nations, health statistics (including life expectancy) have worsened over the past 20 years.

Cameroonians must pay for health services at the time they receive care. As a result, poor patients are often unable to access affordable medical care. The country also suffers from a severe shortage of medical professionals, making it difficult to offer comprehensive, high-quality care. Citizens are frequently forced to rely on community health workers rather than doctors to receive treatment. Additionally, the fee-based system attracts many doctors to urban areas where they can make a better living, leaving many rural areas without eye care professionals.

Since most patients in Cameroon lack the necessary financial capacity to afford the scarce eye care services, more than 200,000 individuals are blind, and over 600,000 are at a high risk of becoming blind.