3.3 million people in Cameroon currently lack access to healthcare due to facility closures and ongoing crises. The closure of 288 primary healthcare facilities has created a large gap in care, with only 7% of targeted health interventions met as of June 2025. Security concerns compound these challenges, as 11 attacks on health facilities occurred in 2025, severely limiting civilian access to essential services, and the referral system is largely non-functional, with insufficient ambulances and critical shortages of medicines, equipment, and trained staff.
Despite these challenges, humanitarian response efforts continue. Support priorities have been clearly identified: enhanced emergency healthcare access in crisis-affected regions, strengthened maternal and child health services to address current disruptions causing more unassisted births and higher mortality risks, improved emergency response capacity for disease outbreaks, and provision of essential medicines, medical equipment, and trained healthcare personnel. Understanding the data helps us comprehend how security concerns, infrastructure damage, and resource shortages intersect to create healthcare deserts in specific regions, revealing where targeted interventions can have the greatest impact.
