Determinants of health shocks: A comparative analysis of communicable and non-communicable diseases severity in the Campo Ma’an National Park Communities, Cameroon

The burden of health shocks continues to pose significant threats on human wellbeing, development and livelihoods especially in sub-Saharan African countries. Evidence on its perceptions and severity on natural resource dependent communities in Cameroon are lacking. To bridge this gap, the study uses the case of the Campo Ma’an National Park to i) identify the typology of health shocks in natural resources dependent communities, ii) explore the perceptions of natural resource dependent communities on health shocks, and iii) evaluate the severity of health shocks on natural resource-based livelihoods. To attain these objectives, a survey of 200 natural resource dependent households was conducted in four zones of the Campo Ma’an National Park, complemented by expert interviews (N = 4), and key informant interviews (N = 6). The results indicate that the Campo Ma’an National Park communities are experiencing both communicable and non-communicable diseases with higher burden. Also, the perception of health shocks was more on human-induce phenomena, followed by natural induce phenomena. In addition, varied perceptions on health shock severity revealed an increase in forest, land and water resources and livelihoods during health shocks in the region, while some perceived a decline in their livelihoods over the past five years. There is a significant difference in the severity of communicable health shocks over non-communicable health shocks in Campo Ma’an National Park communities. Diseases like malaria, HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and COVID-19 in the area around the Campo Ma’an National Park have significant effects on the livelihoods of the local communities. The study provides empirical evidence on the link between health shocks and livelihoods in natural resource settings with emphasis on the typology and severity of health shocks.