Our work in Cameroon
Cameroon is situated in Central West Africa. Over half of the population of around 16 million are less than 20 years old. Infant and child mortality is high, and life expectancy is only 50 years. The lifetime risk of maternal death is 1 in 24, and 15% of children under 5 are classified as malnourished.
We work in the North West Province at Bamenda Regional Hospital which serves a population of 446,000 inhabitants. Bamenda is the capital of the North West Province, which has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates of all the provinces (about 8.7%).
The hospital is one of the main government referral hospitals for the whole of the province and provides a range of specialist services. Nevertheless, by UK standards it is poorly staffed and equipped. There is no patient monitoring equipment or oxygen on the wards. Patients have to pay for all medicines and care themselves.
Since 2001 we have worked with the healthcare staff at the hospital to improve the healthcare given to women, babies and children. We have:
- Provided essential medical equipment, drugs and supplies to the hospital
- Provided oxygen concentrators for the children’s ward and neonatal unit
- Established a breast milk bank
- Set up a project to treat and provide follow up care for children who have Burkitt’s Lymphoma (childhood cancer)
- Established a successful PMTCT programme (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV virus)
The breast milk bank, started by previous MCAI volunteer Dr Peter McCormick, continues to run well. It provides a stock of frozen pasteurised breast milk, which the nurses can use to feed premature babies who are too weak to be breastfed.
MCAI continues to supply vital medical equipment for the children's ward, and essential drugs as they are needed for individual children.
Learn more about our projects in Cameroon