Topic > Case Study on demographic transition - 850

There is a continuing unequal distribution of the wealth produced by economic growth, as demonstrated by the Gini coefficient of 38.9 in 2013, in addition to the fact that at least 9.56% of the population population lives below the poverty line of less than 1 US dollar per day [9]. These inequalities can contribute to alarming health consequences. According to Echuffo-Tchegui and Kengne, recent years have seen a considerable increase in the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which “accounted for 43% of all deaths in 2002” [10]. Increasing urbanization is exposing the Cameroonian population to highly processed foods (usually rich in fat, salt and sugar) and increasingly sedentary lifestyles [10]. Currently, 53% of individuals live in urban areas [1]. It has been shown that these socio-economic changes may now lead Cameroon to face “the double burden of infectious and chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs)” [10]. The burden of infectious diseases is mainly caused by HIV/AIDS, malaria and lower respiratory tract infections [11]. In 2012, HIV prevalence among Cameroonian adults was 2,217 per 100,000 inhabitants [1]. The incidence of malaria was 16877 per 100,000 inhabitants [1]. At the same time, however, the country experiences an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, showing elements of an