The Country of Cameroon
According to the CIA’s World Fact book, the Republic of Cameroon on the continent of Africa has a population of 18,879,301. Every year 39,000 die due to HIV/AIDS. Cameroonians are at a very high risk of major infectious diseases like malaria, yellow fever, and rabies among others. The life expectancy of a Cameroonian is 53.69 years. For every 1,000 live births in Cameroon, 63.34 babies die.
Although Cameroon has a humble amount of oil and good conditions for agriculture, the small wealth the country has is very unevenly distributed. Forty-eight percent of the population lives below the poverty line (estimate of the CIA in 2000). According to the World Factbook, Cameroon has an “unfavorable climate for business enterprise,” much like other underdeveloped countries. Thirty percent of the population is unemployed leaving them unable to provide for their families.
According to UNICEF, “school drop out is a big problem in the country as some parents do not allow their children to complete the primary school,” because “most prefer them to take care of sheep and goats, or sell things in the streets in order to bring some income home.” According to many sources, many children are orphaned in Cameroon due to the HIV/AIDS outbreak, leaving them with no choice but to work rather than complete their education.