Cameroon Prepares to Launch National Strategy on Maternal Health
For many women in Cameroon, childbirth remains a significant health risk. Despite medical advances, the country remains one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the region. According to the World Bank’s Gender Data Portal, in 2020, an estimated 438 women died of every 100,000 live births, from pregnancy-related complications. While maternal mortality rates dropped slightly to 406 deaths per 100,000 births in 2022, progress has been slow and maternal health challenges continue.
Access to quality reproductive health care, limited opportunities for high pregnancy rates during puberty – 108 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 years – The ongoing nutritional gap continues to put mothers and newborns at risk. Without emergency and ongoing interventions, preventable deaths will continue, putting greater pressure on families and communities.
To address these challenges, Cameroon is set to launch its five-year National Strategy on Reproductive, Maternal, Child, Adolescent, and Nutrition Health (RMNCAH-Nut) on March 13, 2025. Developed with support from Africa CDC and its partners, this strategy—running from 2025 to 2030—aligns with global health priorities, particularly Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on health and well-being.The program focuses on strengthening maternal health services, improving data collection, enhancing policy implementation and promoting better coordination among stakeholders.
Prior to its official launch, the CDC played a key role in supporting the technical verification workshop to refine the strategy. The workshop brought together 33 experts, including representatives from the Cameroonian Ministry of Health and key partners, to ensure that the document is scientifically significant at the national level, relevant locally and actionable at the national level.
“Part of the African CDC mission is to support countries in developing strategic health plans that align with continental priorities. Cameroon was one of the first to identify its strategy, which would be a model for other African countries. We are now preparing for the formal launch and mobilization of resources to effectively implement,” explained Fidel Gabo, head of the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Department at the African CDC (CDC).
Cameroon’s national strategy is based on the broader continent’s efforts to support African Union member states in strengthening reproductive health policies. Recognizing that women and children are disproportionately affected in health emergencies, the African Union validated a five-year continental reproductive health strategy (2022-2026) with the participation of 42 AU member states. The framework focuses on key areas including adolescent sexual and reproductive health, maternal and neonatal health, family planning, prevention and management of reproductive system cancer, gender-based violence reduction, and safe abortion care.
To ensure effective implementation at the national level, the Mainland priority assessment identified key gaps in reproductive health financing, policy frameworks and health care workforce capacity. As part of the follow-up assessment, Cameroon and Lesotho were among the first to be selected as technical and financially supported countries to develop national strategies consistent with the broader continental framework.
To promote national adoption, the strategy has been translated into English to attract a wider audience, including policy makers, healthcare workers, civil society organizations and local communities. A total of 1,500 high-quality printed copies will be distributed at the national, regional and regional levels to ensure accessibility to all stakeholders. The March 13 release marks the beginning of a greater effort to mobilize resources to effectively implement them nationwide. The CDC will continue to work with the Cameroonian Ministry of Health to ensure the sustainable integration of reproductive health services into the national primary health care system. By prioritizing maternal health, this strategy has the potential to save thousands of lives and build a stronger and more resilient healthcare system for future generations.
Distributed by Apo Group on behalf of the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (African CDC).
