Cameroon

Over 15 million people live in the West African nation of Cameroon,and the average life expectancy is only 48 years. According to the World Bank, over 200,000 children in Cameroon have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, and the maternal mortality rate is 750 per 100,000 live births. Due to the fact that the majority of Cameroonian physicians leave for better pay in Europe and the United Sates, Cameroon has only 10 -15 physicians per 100,000 people, one of the lowest ratios in the world (UNDP 2006). Physicians in Cameroon are often faced with facilities severely under-supplied and lacking in medicines and proper medical equipment.

WEHHS in Cameroon 2007

WEHHS, in partnership with Friendx of Africa (FOA) assembled a 40' container of supplies that were sent to Douala, Cameroon in November, 2007. The success of FOA's August, 2006 trip to Cameroon to deliver supplies and provide medical support prompted WEHHS to partner with them for Cameroon 2007.

The goal for Cameroon 2007 was to send needed medical supplies to the clinics that were toured by FOA in 2006 and explore the possibilities of building a free clinic in the area to impact the community to a greater extent.

In the first two weeks of November, 2007, another team of FOA/WEHHS doctors and volunteers arrived in Cameroon to help distribute the supplies to 7 different clinics. They also also set up a health fair that was open to all community members. During this visit, physicians with the FOA/WEHHS team interfaced with local physicians to ensure that all equipment and medications were familiar to them and could be administered properly.

All supplies for Cameroon, 2007 were generously donated including hospital exam tables, an EKG machine, wheelchairs, crutches, and a range of pharmaceuticals.

To see photos and more from the Cameroon 2007 trip, visit the Friendx of Africa website.

Friendx of Africa, 2006

In the summer of 2006, FOA sent over a volunteer group, consisting of 10 volunteer doctors and nurses, as well as a range of non-medical volunteers, to Douala, Cameroon to provide a two-week health fair. The health fair aimed to educate locals on nutrition, preventive healthcare, early identification and management of ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Over 300 locals attended the seminars each day. The health fair also provided an open forum for community members to consult with FOA's medical team, who attended to an average of 150 patients daily for five days. The team was able to give free medicine, prescription eyeglasses, blood-pressure and blood-glucose monitors, and other medical supplies to patients and local clinics. The team was very well-received by the people of Cameroon and the impact their efforts had was amazing to each member. View our partners page for more information on FOA.