Cameroon or Canada? Cameroonian Health Workers Seek Better Opportunities in Canada
After training as a nurse, Nevielle Leinyuy spent almost a decade working as a front desk receptionist in Cameroon due to the lack of decent-paying medical jobs. Last year, he decided to seek better opportunities abroad, applying for a nursing program in Canada, where he now resides with his family.
“They are stealing us from Cameroon,” said the 39-year-old Leinyuy. “We want to work in Cameroon but there is no pay, so we have to look for other options.”
Cameroon suffers from one of the world's lowest ratios of health workers per capita. Approximately a third of the country's newly graduated doctors left last year, according to Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo. Many healthcare professionals are migrating to Europe and North America, attracted by more lucrative positions.
In Cameroon, nurses earn as little as 60,000 CFA francs (less than $100) per month. “Just imagine what a family of a father with three kids and a wife would do with that,” Leinyuy said. “The rent of my house alone was 40,000 francs ($66).”
The exodus of health workers is not unique to Cameroon. According to a 2023 World Health Organization (WHO) report, nearly 75% of African nations face medical staff shortages, exacerbated by healthcare professionals moving abroad. This shortage hinders efforts to combat infant mortality, infectious diseases, and provide essential services like vaccinations.
Cameroon has fewer than seven nurses per 10,000 inhabitants, far below Nigeria's ratio and significantly less than Canada's. Health Canada spokesperson Marie-Pier Burelle stated that Canada is also facing healthcare workforce shortages, with over 30,000 nursing positions vacant. Canada adheres to the WHO's ethical recruitment code, which includes efforts to strengthen health systems in developing countries.
Last year, Canada donated approximately $2.2 million to Cameroon’s health ministry and provided medical equipment as part of the Global Initiative for Vaccine Equity. However, such contributions fall short of addressing the extensive needs.
Cameroon’s government employs about 100 doctors annually for its population of 28 million, according to Dr. Peter Louis Ndifor, vice president of the Cameroon Medical Council. By comparison, Nova Scotia, a Canadian province with under a million people, recruited around 155 doctors last year.
The shortage of health workers is compounded by the country's separatist conflict, which has rendered more than 210 health facilities non-functional due to destruction or abandonment.
Cameroonian migration consultant Tumenta Kennedy noted that Canadian agencies actively recruit local doctors and nurses, making Canada an attractive destination. Immigration programs like the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Express Entry have seen a surge in applications from Cameroonians. In 2022, over 1,800 new permanent residents moved to Canada to work as registered nurses.
Inès Kingue, a 30-year-old medical lab technician from Douala, hopes to join them. Despite holding two master’s degrees in virology and microbiology, she has been interning without a contract for four years, earning less than $200 a month. “When Canada opened its doors, I put all my focus into trying to go there,” Kingue said.
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