remain low (21.2%). The main difficulties faced include the poor appropriation by the
community of the actions undertaken to promote exclusive breastfeeding, poor
breastfeeding knowledge and limited access to the national code on the marketing of
breast-milk substitutes (probably due to the fact that it has not been translated into the
appropriate languages).
Recommended measures include translating the National Code on the Marketing of
Breast-milk Substitutes into the appropriate local languages and intensifying
communication on exclusive breastfeeding.
Adolescent Health
Several strategies are being used across the national territory to improve adolescent
health based on the general development policy guidelines. Such is the case with the
drawing up of the National Strategic Plan on the Health of Adolescents and Youths which
outlines the major strategic aspects, objectives as well as priority actions to be carried out
in order to guarantee the wellbeing of adolescents and youths, and equip them with the
necessary skills to face adulthood.
In the areas of family planning, measures concern:
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intensifying the national family planning policy by organizing campaigns to disseminate
family planning methods and to raise awareness on the dangers of early pregnancies,
through educative talks
reducing contraceptive prices;
organizing free distribution campaigns for contraceptives;
training healthcare workers in Adolescent Reproductive Health and in Family Planning.
Concerning the reproductive health of adolescents, it is worth noting:
- the implementation of youth and adolescent-friendly social and health services (two
experimental centres already went operational in Yaounde and Douala);
- the implementation of projects in several domains relating to this issue through the
involvement of traditional and religious rulers:
- training peer educators and volunteers for community-based services;
- raising awareness among children both within and outside schools;
- awareness-raising actions against early marriages and pregnancies targeting the
above-mentioned groups;
- signing of a partnership agreement in 2013 between MINESEC and the Cameroon
League for Development (CAM LEAD-NGO), in view of eradicating early marriages and
pregnancies within schools.
Concerning family life education, actions involved pursuing the implementation, in all
training and teaching programmes at the primary, secondary and university levels, of
curricula on family life education, specifically as concerns the population and HIV/AIDS.
The ongoing experimentation of the school book entitled “Vivre ensemble” (Living
Together), intended for Class One pupils through Upper Sixth students, which includes an
aspect on IEC/CBC/ARH; the implementation of the premarital, matrimonial and family
education programme; collaboration with the Civil Society (Cameroon Paediatric Society)
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