Cameroon is a lower-middle-income country endowed with rich natural resources, including oil and gas, mineral ores, high-value species of timber, and agricultural products, such as coffee, cotton, and cocoa. The country is also dominated by a strong central government. Cameroon currently faces a multitude of crises including: spillover violence from Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province in its northern regions, which are its poorest and most impacted by climate change; hosting the largest refugee population from the Central African Republic (CAR) in its East and Adamawa regions; ongoing insurgency in its English-speaking Northwest and Southwest Regions; and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s economy and public healthcare system. 

USAID upgraded its presence in Cameroon to a Limited Presence Country in 2020. We work with a range of partners – local, international, multilateral – to deliver critical services to the Cameroonian people. Our work improves healthcare, boosts business opportunities, and provides emergency humanitarian assistance, and works to combat violent extremism. 

The bulk of USAID activities are focused in the health sector with support from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, President’s Malaria Initiative, and Global Health Security Agenda. USAID/Cameroon also invests in limited activities related to neglected tropical diseases and maternal and child health. USAID’s West Africa Regional Office in Accra, Ghana supports implementation of peace and governance activities aimed at reducing vulnerability to extremism, particularly in the northern regions of Cameroon. USAID/West Africa also helps to build the next generation of Cameroonian leaders and boost business opportunities through the West Africa Trade Hub, Young African Leaders Initiative, and Power Africa Off-Grid programs. USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance supports humanitarian actors to reach vulnerable populations (refugees, internally displaced persons) and host communities with critical life-saving aid.