Researching Healthcare Equity: Insights from Medical Students in Cameroon

There is a great deal of inequity in this world. Healthcare inequity is a particularly disturbing and difficult issue to address. People worldwide suffer because they have limited access to healthcare services. This research study looks at healthcare inequity in Africa. In examining COVID-19 vaccine distribution globally one can clearly see that a wide gap exists between high income nations and low-income nations. To address inequity. major organizations, governments and philanthropists contribute huge sums of money and time researching the issues and creating plans in hopes of equalizing these disparities. Yet their attempts are never adequate. The research finds little progress towards making healthcare available to the most vulnerable. It is a tragic situation. Examined through the lens of Galtung’s 1969 theory of structural violence, this researcher claims that it is a heinous act against humanity there must be solutions. The purpose of this research study is to learn and listen to what the literature suggests and further explore existing problems that create barriers to healthcare equity. The research finds it notable that little focus, funding, or planning is provided toward educating medical students. This report contends that educating medical professionals could be a key opportunity toward making healthcare more equitable. Thus, a case study, interviewing medical students from Cameroon, Africa provides the backbone for this study’s most interesting and realistic contribution towards realizing ways to improve healthcare equity.