The low use of modern contraceptives in Cameroon and the great use of less effective methods is said to have led to high levels of unplanned births.

Hence, the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, has been spreading awareness of the various contraceptive options, family planning, and reproductive health to individuals, especially young women, men, and refugees.

Information from the UNFPA indicated that reproductive health services and family planning are key to healthy deliveries. The World Health Organization insists that delivery spacing of three years or more will greatly reduce maternal mortality.

According to the UNFPA, “As we mark World Contraceptive Day today, 257 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe, modern methods of contraception. Among the reasons are concerns about side effects and misconceptions about long-term effects on fertility,”.

“Some women may be forbidden to use contraceptives by their husbands, partners or in-laws. Some women may feel stigmatized for wanting to use them, some do not know about them, cannot access it or afford it,” they further said.

Cameroon joined the world on September 26, 2023, to commemorate World Contraceptive Day under the theme “The Power of Options”.

Source: Cameroon News Agency