Urban Health Challenges: An Analysis of Population-Environment, Nexus in Douala, Cameroon

This study aims at investigating the relationship between the rising population and the immediate living environment in relation to their impact on health in Douala, Cameroon. Douala is a rapidly growing metropolitan city with a population exceeding 4 million and an annual growth rate of over 3.44%. Douala faces significant challenges related to the provision of basic urban services, particularly in marginalized neighbourhoods. In order to investigate these, the research employs the Urban Health Framework to explore how the city’s social and physical environments are influenced by local health outcomes. A mixed survey research was adopted for this study and the study population comprised all the 120 neighbourhoods that make up the Douala metropolis. A random sampling technique was used to collect field data from these 120 neighbourhoods. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. These data was used to identify common health challenges such as malaria, typhoid, dysentery, and cholera, which are exacerbated by poor water quality, inadequate sanitation, and substandard housing. Primary data was sourced from questionnaires and interviews while secondary data was gotten from reviewing hospital records. The study results showed a high prevalence of malaria compared to the other infectious diseases with variations between environmental factors like water pollution, stagnant water bodies, poor housing and the prevalence of these diseases within most of the marginalized neighbourhoods. This therefore emphasize the need for improved urban planning and health interventions to achieve targeted goals. The findings further reveals the importance of more sensitization on environmental sanitation at individual levels and the need for multi-level collaboration between international organisations, national and municipal governments, and civil society to enhance urban health and wellbeing in Douala especially in marginalized neighbourhoods.