ACCESSIBILITY OF ELDERLY PEOPLE TO HEALTHCARE IN CAMEROON: CURRENT SITUATION AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Téclaire Amandine Bangomb, IFORD

These days, one of the main topics discussed in international assemblies is the issue of elderly persons. Even though the United Nations declared 2021 to be the "Decade of Healthy Aging," older people are increasingly recognized as a vulnerable population and as such, they should be given priority over other demographic groups. In Cameroon, the population is still relatively young. However, having already completed its transformation, the Cameroon must now prepare for an increase in the number of elderly people. We should also note that elderly people in Cameroon are still largely responsible for themselves, and social changes have severely tested the family solidarity system, even though older people experience social isolation, double financial instability that negatively affects their health, and most importantly, prevents them from accessing healthcare. This article describes the state of elderly people while highlighting the various factors preventing them from accessing healthcare.

Keywords: Population Ageing, Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations, Health and Morbidity, Longitudinal studies

See extended abstract.