Cameroon Abortion Policy Brief

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• Create Date September 29, 2025
• Last Updated September 29, 2025

Unsafe abortion is a leading cause of preventable maternal mortality in Cameroon, responsible for up
to 20% of maternal deaths (Guttmacher Institute). This public health crisis places a severe, avoidable
burden on our health system, costing an estimated 2.5 billion CFA Francs annually in emergency post-
abortion care. This tragic loss of our mothers, daughters, and sisters is not only a personal tragedy but
also a wound to our national vitality, undermining family stability and community strength.
Despite abortion being legal in Cameroon under specific circumstances (rape, incest, threat to the
woman's life), the absence of clear, national clinical and service delivery guidelines creates a dangerous
implementation gap. Healthcare providers, fearing legal repercussions and lacking procedural clarity,
are often unable to provide legally permissible care. Consequently, women who are legally entitled to a
safe abortion are forced to seek clandestine, unsafe methods.
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