ADVOCACY FOR COMPREHENSIVE ABORTION CARE (ACAC)

The government of Cameroon, through the Ministry of Public Health, has worked over the years to reduce maternal mortality in the country. Their efforts have borne fruit, especially with recent statistics showing that maternal mortality has increased from 782 deaths per 100,000 live births to 406 deaths per 100,000 live births (DHS V, 2012-2018). While this 40% drop is commendable, the statistics still leave a lot to be desired compared to developed and other developing countries. For Cameroon to achieve the third sustainable development goal of less than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive approach to end preventable maternal deaths. Recent research (Tiako Kamga et al., 2017: 4) reveals that complications from unsafe abortion account for 24.2% of maternal deaths in Cameroon. This shows that the scale of induced abortions is far from marginal and has a crippling effect on the maternal mortality rate in Cameroon. Although the penal code allows abortion when a woman is raped or if the pregnancy is life-threatening, these women still cannot access the service in a timely manner. The cumbersome procedures that women must undergo before being considered qualified for service is a real bottleneck. The situation is further compounded by the stigma attached to abortion, the non-application of Article 14, Section 2 of the ratified Maputo Protocol and the lack of a system for monitoring maternal deaths due to unsafe abortions. All of these obstacles mean that unsafe abortion continues to prevail in secrecy and at least two of our women and girls die every day.