Cameroon has moved a step closer to building the African Medical Center of Excellence (AMCE) after the government formally secured the land for the project on July 9, 2026. The agreement pave the way for a tertiary hospital expected to expand access to specialized healthcare for patients in Cameroon and across Central Africa.
The Cameroonian government has advanced plans for the future African Medical Center of Excellence (AMCE) by signing the annex to a partnership agreement governing the transfer of a 10-hectare site for the project. The document, signed by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development (MINHDU) and the Director General of the Mission for the Development and Servicing of Urban and Rural Lands (MAETUR), concludes months of technical negotiations over financial compensation and officially confirms the availability of the land.
Although in nature, the agreement represents a critical milestone. Without a secured site, the hospital project could not move into its implementation phase. For health authorities, the signings demonstrates the government’s commitment to delivering a flagship medical institution capable of strengthening highly specialized healthcare services in Cameroon.
Located near Yaoundé-Nsimalen International Airport, the future facility is designed to serve both national and international patients. Its strategic location is expected to facilitate medical referrals from neighboring countries while supporting regional cooperation in advanced healthcare.
The African Medical Center of Excellence, promoted by Afreximbank, is envisioned as a tertiary healthcare institution equipped to treat complex diseases requiring advanced expertise and technology. Planned specialties include oncology, cardiology, urology and orthopedics, alongside diagnostic imaging, telemedicine and clinical research services.
For many patients, these services could eventually reduce the need to seek treatment abroad. Every year, individuals requiring highly specialized procedures often travel overseas because equivalent services remain unavailable or limited locally. Such medical evacuations place a significant financial burden on both families and the state. Authorities expect the new center to retain a substantial share of these healthcare expenditures while improving access to quality care closer to home.
Beyond patient care, the project is expected to strengthen Cameroon’s health system by expanding opportunities for specialist training, clinical research and technology transfer. It could also stimulate local economic activity through construction, medical equipment procurement, pharmaceutical services and logistics, creating skilled employment while reinforcing healthcare capacity.
The latest agreement builds on the framework convention signed on March 26, 2026, under the patronage of the Prime Minister. It implements a key provision of that agreement and aligns with the government’s budgetary priorities presented
before the National Assembly earlier this month. Studies for the construction of access roads to the future hospital site are also underway.
However, several steps remain before construction can begin. Authorities have called on Afreximbank and other stakeholders to provide the remaining technical and financial documentation required to coordinate contributions from the Ministry of Public Health, the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority and engineering consultants. A separate memorandum of understanding between MINHDU and Afreximbank still needs to be finalized to define the project’s technical and financial arrangements.
As Cameroon moves from land acquisition toward implementation, the challenge now lies in translating political commitment into visible progress. If completed as planned, the African Medical Center of Excellence could become one of Central Africa’s leading referral hospitals, improving access to specialized care while reinforcing the country’s ambition to emerge as a regional healthcare hub.
