Cameroon

Cameroon, a lower-middle income country in West Africa, faces significant challenges related to poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition. In some regions, as many as 70% of families are unable to afford a nutritious diet, contributing to widespread nutritional deficiencies and poor health outcomes among children and adolescents.

Malnutrition remains a critical public health concern: 29% of children under five are stunted and 4% suffer from acute malnutrition. Thirty-five percent of children aged 1–5 are vitamin A deficient, placing them at increased risk of blindness and mortality from common infections.

While undernutrition persists, Cameroon is also experiencing a growing burden of overweight and obesity among older children and adolescents, with 9% of boys and 21% of girls affected. These trends are compounded by unhealthy behaviors—only 20% of adolescents meet recommended physical activity levels, and just 7% report consuming a healthy diet.

The country also faces critical gaps in care for serious health conditions: among children diagnosed with cancer, only 10–20% survive beyond five years, reflecting systemic challenges in access to early diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care.

Paternship in Cameroon 

IIPAN is proud to partner with Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services to strengthen pediatric nutrition care across three hospitals in Cameroon: Mbingo Baptist Hospital, Mutengene Baptist Hospital, and Mboppi Baptist Hospital Douala.

At Mbingo Baptist Hospital, IIPAN supports a dedicated pediatric oncology nutritionist who provides specialized nutritional care to children undergoing cancer treatment. At Mutengene and Mboppi Baptist Hospitals, IIPAN offers ongoing training and education for nutritionists, helping to improve the quality of pediatric nutrition services.

Through this collaboration, healthcare professionals in Cameroon are exploring innovative, locally driven solutions to enhance pediatric care. This includes research on the use of traditional and complementary medicine , as well as efforts to integrate local resources into evidence-based nutrition interventions.

Together with CBCHS, IIPAN is working to improve child health outcomes by advancing nutrition-focused clinical care, education, and research throughout Cameroon.

IIPAN in Cameroon