WHO · UNICEF · UN IGME 2024← All Countries

🇨🇲

Maternal & Child Mortality
in Cameroon

Central Africa · #18 of 30 worst globally

Child Deaths Since Jan 1, 2026

0

62.5 per 1,000 live births · Cameroon

Deaths at Birth Today

0

est. newborns today

Infant Mortality Rate

62.5

per 1,000 · 2.3× world avg

Maternal Mortality Rate

438

per 100,000 · 2.2× world avg

Central Africa

Birth Mortality Crisis

Mothers & Newborns
Dying in Cameroon
During Childbirth

438 maternal deaths per 100,000 — the Anglophone regions are experiencing sharply worsening rates as armed groups target health facilities.

Newborn & Infant Mortality

62.5deaths per 1,000 live births

2.3× the world average

Maternal Mortality During Birth

438deaths per 100,000 live births

2.2× the world average

👶

Newborn & Child Deaths During Birth in Cameroon

The Anglophone crisis (since 2016) has effectively destroyed the health system in the North West and South West regions. Boko Haram raids in the Far North have destroyed dozens of health facilities.

National progress stalled since 2016. Conflict zones are experiencing sharp deterioration.

Leading Causes of Child Death at Birth

Malaria30%

Neonatal causes23%

Diarrhoea14%

Pneumonia13%

HIV/AIDS7%

Other13%

* Neonatal deaths (first 28 days) represent the largest share of under-5 mortality.

What Happens in the Delivery Room

🏥

Births in a health facility~81%

estimated — lower in conflict/rural areas

👩‍⚕️

Skilled birth attendant present~47%

doctor, midwife or trained nurse

⚠️

Neonatal deaths (first 28 days)48%

of all under-5 deaths occur at birth

🩸

Most preventable with skilled care~75%

of child and maternal deaths

🤱

Maternal Mortality During Birth in Cameroon

60% of health facilities in the North West and South West regions have closed. 700,000+ people are internally displaced. Health workers face threats from both government forces and separatist fighters.

Deteriorating in conflict zones; modest improvement elsewhere.

Causes of Death During Labour & Delivery

Haemorrhage28%

Eclampsia21%

Sepsis17%

Malaria in pregnancy15%

Obstructed labour12%

Other7%

* Haemorrhage and eclampsia together cause over 50% of deaths — both are treatable with basic skilled care.

Why Mothers Die at Birth Here

🩺

Emergency obstetric care availableLimited

few facilities can manage haemorrhage

🩸

Blood transfusion accessCritical gap

haemorrhage kills within 2 hours

💊

Magnesium sulphate (eclampsia)Often absent

costs $1 — saves lives instantly

✅

If skilled care were universal~75% fewer deaths

WHO estimate for this mortality level

⚠️

Why Is This Still Happening?

Structural Barriers to Safe Birth in Cameroon

Anglophone separatist war — 700,000 displaced, 60% of facilities closed

Boko Haram raiding communities in the Far North

3.6% HIV prevalence driving maternal complications

Health workers deliberately targeted by armed groups

🎯

SDG 3 Progress Assessment

Peace in the Anglophone regions would be transformative for Cameroon's health trajectory.

💡

Prevention & Solutions

How Can We Prevent This in Cameroon?

📍 The Situation

Cameroon has one of Africa's more developed health systems, but is experiencing severe deterioration in the Anglophone regions due to ongoing armed conflict. The Anglophone crisis has caused the closure of hundreds of health facilities and the displacement of over 750,000 people in regions that previously had reasonable healthcare access.

🔬 How Ultrasound Helps

In stable Cameroon, POCUS training for the existing nursing cadre is straightforwardly implementable — the infrastructure exists. In the Anglophone crisis zones, portable POCUS deployed through humanitarian health teams serves a bridging function, maintaining obstetric diagnostic capability in the absence of functioning fixed facilities. GUSI's global health network is relevant to both contexts.

🎓 The Training Gap

Cameroon needs a two-track approach: national integration of POCUS training through nursing schools in stable regions, and emergency deployment of trained humanitarian health workers in the Anglophone crisis zones. GUSI's programs support both tracks.

What a trained provider can detect with a portable ultrasound device

🩸Placenta previa

🔄Malpresentation

👥Twin pregnancy

📉Fetal growth restriction

⚡Pre-eclampsia markers

🫁Childhood pneumonia

💉Internal bleeding

🧠Hydrocephalus

🧮

Interactive Model

POCUS Impact Calculator — Cameroon

Model based on: 600 scans/provider/year · 15% high-risk detection rate · 47% mortality reduction for detected cases (Swanson et al. 2014 · WHO POCUS in LMICs review)

Number of POCUS-trained providers deployed in Cameroon50

1 provider250500 providers

Scans per Year

30,000

pregnant women screened

High-Risk Detected

4,500

flagged for referral / intervention

Maternal Deaths Prevented

30

mothers saved per year

Newborn Deaths Prevented

50

babies saved per year

Total Lives Saved Per Year

80deaths prevented

1.6

lives per provider

$309

est. cost per life saved

$24,750

total training investment

* This calculator uses a conservative evidence-based model. Actual impact varies by deployment context, provider experience, and health system capacity. Training cost based on GUSI OB POCUS Essentials (~$495/provider). Mortality reduction from peer-reviewed POCUS implementation studies in low-resource settings.

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Technology & Education

A Practical Plan to Bring POCUS to Cameroon

🗺️ Deployment Roadmap for Cameroon

Baseline assessment — map existing facilities, referral pathways, blood supply, and available midwives, nurses, and physicians who could be trained.
Provider training — enrol local champions in GUSI's OB POCUS Essentials + Pediatric POCUS courses. Certify a core group to train others.
Device procurement — select appropriate portable handheld devices based on power infrastructure, connectivity, and budget (see brands below).
Protocols & referral integration — define what to scan, what findings trigger referral, and how to document scans at the point of care.
Quality assurance — regular image review sessions, outcomes tracking, and refresher training to maintain competency.

📡 Recommended Portable Ultrasound Devices

🦋 Butterfly iQ+

Website →

Single-probe whole-body device covering OB, cardiac, lung, and FAST exams. App-based platform with built-in AI guidance. Designed for low-resource environments — charges via USB and works with any smartphone.

🔵 Philips Lumify

Website →

App-based probe that plugs into Android phones. Multiple transducer heads available for OB and point-of-care use. Widely used in GUSI-supported training programs globally.

🟢 GE Vscan Air

Website →

Wireless, pocket-sized dual-probe handheld. Streams live images to a smartphone app. Excellent battery life — purpose-built for rapid bedside OB and FAST-style assessments.

🔷 Clarius HD3

Website →

High-resolution wireless handheld. Multiple probe configurations available. Strong image quality in a compact form factor — suitable for OB, lung, and neonatal scanning.

Global Ultrasound Institute · GUSI

The training that closes the gap — built for providers in settings like Cameroon

GUSI trains physicians, nurses, midwives, and community health workers in Point-of-Care Ultrasound. Courses are designed from the ground up for providers in resource-limited settings — short, practical, competency-based, and available online or in person. Every course maps directly to the conditions killing mothers and babies during childbirth.