For years, women in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions faced the grim reality of giving birth without access to trained medical care. Many walked long distances to reach a health facility, while others lost their babies or their lives due to delays and lack of infrastructure.

Today, that narrative is changing, thanks to the UNFPA-supported project implemented by the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) in nine facilities across both regions.

Funded by ECHO, CERF, and the Government of Canada, the project has brought hope where despair once lived. Through the deployment of qualified midwives, the supply of emergency SRH medical kits (especially Kit 3 for emergency rape response), the minimum intervention service packages (MISP), just to name a few, and the construction of maternity waiting homes, women in remote, conflict-affected communities can now deliver safely and access timely reproductive healthcare.

Community Impact: From Awareness to Access

The project’s impact reaches beyond the hospital walls. Community health workers have been trained and deployed to conduct community sensitization, educating families about safe delivery, antenatal care, and available services. Youth peer educators are helping to spread awareness among young people, encouraging them to seek care early and prevent unplanned pregnancies.

In these communities, the introduction of baby boxes — filled with essential items for newborn care — has symbolized renewed dignity for mothers. Women who once felt neglected now feel celebrated and supported.

Thanks to these combined efforts, facilities such as Ndu, Kumba, Ekondo Titi, Ashong, and Finkwi Baptist Health Centres, as well as Binka, Baba I, Njungo, and Mamfe district hospitals, are witnessing a steady increase in patient attendance, safer deliveries, and successful management of complex cases, including twin and triplet births.

Integration and Collaboration Save Lives

What makes this intervention exceptional is its integrated approach. Women who face complications are not only treated but also receive Psychosocial counseling and, when necessary, referrals to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services implemented by partner organizations like Teen Alive (South West) and WA Cameroon (North West). This synergy ensures that women receive holistic, rights-based, and dignified care from delivery to recovery.

“Before, we used to lose mothers and babies. Now, even high-risk pregnancies are handled successfully,” shared a midwife at Finkwi Baptist Health Centre. “We feel empowered and proud to serve.”

Building a Healthier Future for Women and Girls

Through this project, the UNFPA-CBCHS partnership is doing more than delivering babies — it’s delivering hope. Communities once cut off by conflict are now connected to care. Maternal deaths are dropping, healthcare confidence is rising, and women are reclaiming their right to safe, dignified childbirth.

The success of these interventions stands as a beacon of what is possible when global solidarity meets local commitment — a reflection of how ECHO, CERF, and Canada’s support are translating into real impact for women and families across Cameroon.