40 reporters from six regions of Cameroon have taken a commitment to work hand in glove with medical personnel, to better communicate reproduction rights to the public. They took the engagement at a two-day reproduction rights reporting workshop held in Yaoundé from September 28-29, 2022.
The session was the brainchild of Sisterspeak237, with support of the Canadian High Commision to Cameroon.
“Our motivation for this is again linked to our commitment to tell underreported stories. Reproductive health stories are really underreported in many mainstream media in Cameroon,” explained Comfort Mussa, Coordinator for Sisterspeak237.
According to health experts, over 30% of maternal mortalities and morbidities in Cameroon are caused by unsafe abortions. Yet, Comfort Mussa pointed out, these stories are hardly told in mainstream media. Sisterspeak237 is one of other institutions bridging the gap, through projects aimed at breaking the silence around unsafe abortions and access to reproductive health care for women.
As part of efforts to address the concern, she explained, “we are working on a reproductive rights reporting guide with some public health experts and veteran journalists. After the workshop we are going to have a launch of that guide which will be available for free for journalists in Cameroon in English and French.”
In the same light, Prof Fomulu Nelson, Vice President of the Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Cameroon (SOGOC) noted that the role of journalists in the reproductive health rights campaign cannot be undermined.
Noting that government still has a long way to go to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, he said the press remains a primary vector for reaching out to the masses: “SOGOC needs you people to communicate our very lofty professional messages to the population. They don’t know their rights. It is a very sad situation…”