Cameroon

Cameroon sits at the junction of West and Central Africa, bordering Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Its population of roughly 28 million (2024 estimate) is one of the continent's most linguistically diverse, with more than 280 languages alongside the two official ones, French and English. Yaoundé is the political capital; Douala is the commercial hub and the country's largest port. The country has a mixed economy anchored in oil exports, agriculture (cocoa, coffee, cotton), and timber, though growth has been uneven across its ten regions. Cameroon has been governed under President Paul Biya since 1982, making his tenure one of the longest of any sitting head of state. Ongoing anglophone separatist conflict in the North-West and South-West regions has displaced hundreds of thousands since 2016, straining public health infrastructure in those areas.

Cameroon is one of eight African Union member states selected for the ARILAC (Advancing Regional Integrated Laboratory Capacity for AMR Control) programme, launched in Addis Ababa on 6 May 2026 by Africa CDC, ASLM, and the European Union . The four-year programme targets antimicrobial resistance surveillance capacity on a One Health basis. Cameroon's selection reflects both its geographic position as a Central and West African corridor and persistent gaps in its laboratory infrastructure; the country has recorded cholera outbreaks along its Lake Chad border zone and has historically lacked the diagnostic throughput for systematic AMR monitoring.

Cameroon did not qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, eliminated in the CAF qualifying rounds. They remain one of Africa's landmark footballing nations, having reached five World Cups between 1982 and 2010. The team is best remembered internationally for Roger Milla's performances at Italia '90, when Cameroon became the first African side to reach a World Cup quarter-final, and for Milla's return at USA '94 at the age of 42, where he scored against Russia to become the oldest World Cup goalscorer in history. The Milla precedent, a veteran recalled from retirement to transform a tournament campaign, is regularly cited as context when ageing STARs are considered for late international recalls.