This policy brief was prepared at the request of the Human Resources Directorate of the Ministry of Public Health to inform the deliberations leading to the development of the national strategic plan for the health workforce. It describes the magnitude, the consequences and the underlying factors of the desertion of rural Integrated Health Centres (IHC), District Health Centres (DHC) and some district hospitals considered "difficult areas" by health care staff. It offers three evidence-based options and related implementation considerations to improve access to the priority minimum package of primary health care. This is part of health service delivery for the districts and contributes to the fight against rampant poverty (55% of the population) in rural areas. “Difficult” rural areas are remote or landlocked health areas, subdivisions and health districts underserved by modern amenities where health services are provided by low-skilled professionals and poorly equipped in health technology. Typically, it is a rural area located between 80 and 400 km or between 1-4 hour drive in good weather from the first referral hospital as these delays make it impossible to guarantee a continuity of care. The ten regions of Cameroon have difficult rural areas, but Adamawa, East, the Far North and North and the areas reassigned after the resolution of the Cameroon-Nigeria border dispute have the largest number of IHC and DHC deserted by health staff.