Understanding the Labour Market of Human Resources for Health in Cameroon

Overview

Universal health coverage depends on having the necessary human resources to deliver health care services. Cameroon is among the African countries currently experiencing a crisis in the area of human resources for health (HRH). The major causes of the crisis include not only the poor production and recruitment planning of health personnel, but also shortcomings related to their management, which can be seen, for example, in the uneven distribution of existing health workers. Additional factors in the crisis include low salaries, poor working conditions and migration to developed countries. This document provides an overview of the HRH labour market in Cameroon, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive approach to understanding the driving forces that affect the supply and demand for health workers, in order to provide a basis for developing effective HRH polices that can contribute to progress towards universal health coverage.