Assessment of sustainable development goals and health sector strategic indicators in Cameroon: A retrospective regional and national analysis

Abstract

The Cameroon Health Sector Strategy (HSS) aims to foster a healthy and productive population, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. This retrospective study assesses progress toward the objectives of the HSS and key health indicators in the Center Region and nationally, providing a critical sub-national benchmark. In April 2023, we collected data for the period up to 2022 from the national DHIS2 database, online documents, and surveys, including the Demographic and Health Survey and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. Data underwent rigorous validation for completeness and accuracy before analysis. Nationally, performance was highest for antenatal antiretroviral therapy coverage (99%) and lowest for the reduction of chronic malnutrition among children under five (63% of target). The Center Region achieved the national malnutrition target (11% prevalence) but showed the lowest coverage of long-lasting insecticidal nets among children. A key infrastructural finding was the disparity in health facility density, which exceeded the national target (2.3/10,000) overall but remained below this target in the Center Region (1.4). In the Center Region, vaccination coverage for tracer antigens (Pentavalent 3, Bacille Calmette-Guérin) declined over 5 years, falling below the 95% target in 2022, although it remained above the national average. Similarly, antenatal care attendance and intermittent preventive treatment coverage remained persistently low from 2018 to 2022. While significant progress has been made in strengthening the health system, these findings highlight the need for targeted efforts to prevent malaria, improve routine immunization and antenatal care utilization, and address the underlying causes of nutritional insecurity in lagging regions. This analysis offers crucial evidence for strategic health planning and resource allocation.

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals / Health Sector Strategy / Indicator evaluation / Center Region / Cameroon

Funding

None.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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