This reportage was commissioned by UNICEF Cameroon and was shot in different villages of the Central Region in 2017.
Improving reproductive, maternal , newborn and child health is significant challenge in Cameroon. Cameroon's maternal mortality ratio is among the highest in the world (782 per 100,000 live births and its newborn mortality ratio (31 per 1000 live births ) and child mortality ratio (122 per 1000 live births ) are above the average for Sub Saharan Africa as a whole. Access to basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services remains very limited and mostly of poor quality in most parts of the country due to lack of essential supplies, infrastructure and skilled health personnel, along with increasing cost of providing care.
Also abortion rates are high among girls under their 20s, 14% of them did not take any antenatal visit and 40% of them delivers at home. Addressing issues regarding adolescent reproductive health, comprehensive sexual health education and youth friendly service delivery, will greatly impact the reduction of maternal mortality and HIV infection within this group.
Delivery room in a Hospital in Cemtral Cameroon
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Mom with her newborn baby in Mbalmayo's Hospital.
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Maternity room. Moms with their new born babies in the hospital of Mbalmayo.
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Dr Ze Natalie informs this woman that her sister lost her second baby during labour
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This little girl has less than one day of life.
She was born 23 hours ago. Her little twin sister did not make it, after being between life and death for more than 23 hours.
It's the recurrent scenario: mom does not go to the hospital until the very last moment.
This lady was expecting twins. One was born 23 hours ago in her home. The second one was not coming out. She waited one day to reach the closest hospital due to lack of disposable income to pay for a moto taxi.
She lost a lot of blood and her life is in serious danger. The hospital doesn't dispose of enough blood for the transfusion . The baby is still inside her.
Medicines and instruments used for obstetrics and gynaecology.
Hospital in a village in Central Cameroon
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Akua Lucie and her newborn baby smiles to the camera after a smooth delivery, her baby was born healthy and she is doing fine.
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Falone's home in a village in Central Cameroon.
In these areas surrounded by a dense forest, most of population live off agriculture and throughout the dry season don't have enough available funds to request a doctor and to visit or to make the long journey to the nearest hospital.
All they have is just enough to feed themselves, for this reason during this period of year moms are more likely to have home births instead of in hospitals, without any prenatal examination", says the Chief of Health services of the hospital of Bafia. "Hospital visits are higher during the harvest period when families can sell the products produced from their land, it’s only then when they use prenatal visits and deliver at the hospital, however during the dry season the numbers decrease and women take serious risks giving birth at home. It’s a matter of poverty “ reaffirms the director.
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Falone Marie is a young girl. One week ago she experienced her second abortion. Abortion rates are high among girls under their 20s, 14% of them did not take any antenatal visit and 40% of them delivers at home.
Francoise with her mother and baby boy Prince.
She gave birth at home with the help of her mom.
Francoise like many other girls did not take any antenatal visit before giving birth.
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