The Challenges of Building Sustainable Cities in Cameroon: Health Issues Associated with a Rapid Urban Population Increase in Buea Municipality.

Abstract

Rapid urbanization compounded by urban poverty is one of the main challenges facing many Sub-Saharan African countries. The Buea municipality is the 10th largest city in Cameroon and equally faces such problems brought about by unplanned development in the past four decades. In 2020, the population growth rate in Buea rose to 42% compared to 5.6% in 2005, especially in the peri-urban areas. This resulted in direct and indirect pressures on available resources. Since 2019, Buea has been hosting close to 100,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) fleeing from the conflict between the defense and security forces and the separatist groups operating in the South West and North West Regions. Consequently, this expansion of urban agglomerations in Buea brings about challenges for the urbanites whose standard of living within the urban space is affected. This article seeks to qualitatively examine how this rapid urbanization has contributed to this recurrence of cholera outbreak since 2019 and the effects on the healthcare system and measures that are in place to mitigate this outbreak. In addressing these issues, the study administered in-depth phone Interviews with medical practitioners at Buea Regional Hospital, which is the main Cholera Treatment Centre in Buea. It also conducted in-depth phone interviews with public health experts at the South West Regional Delegation of Public Health and Buea Council personnel incharge of hygiene and sanitation. The study also made use of direct observation of the researcher on the field during sensitization campaigns in the affected communities in Buea. Base on the results the influx of IDPs have stress the already existing sanitation and shortage/rationing of water in the town. The study also found out that governance and cultural issues are equally associated to the problem of recurrence of the cholera disease in Buea Municipality.