UNICEF Cameroon

Annual Report 2015

unite for children
unite for children

Contents

03 Message from the Representative

04 Cameroon at a glance
05 Snapshot of results
06 Nutrition
08 Health
10 Water, sanitation and hygiene
12 Education
14 Child protection
16 HIV & AIDS
18 External communication
19 Communication for Development
20 Innovations and working with the

private sector
21 Emergency response
22 Funding

Concept and supervision | Vikas Verma

Coordination assistance | Simon Minville
Write up and Design | Tamara Sutila

Message from the Representative

2015 was a groundbreaking year for UNICEF Cameroon. It was a year that saw
our team take the lead in building resilience in Cameroon. We did this by better
linking emergency and regular programmes so that the capacity of vulnerable
people to withstand shocks and stresses could be strengthened.

These results for children could not have been made without adequate funding.
In this area, UNICEF continued to build partnerships with donors and the private
sector to raise and leverage enough funding for children in Cameroon. In 2015,
existing and new donors helped UNICEF raise more than US$40.7 million.

By partnering with technical and financial agencies and institutions, NGOs,

academia, civil society and the private sector, UNICEF was able to support the
Government of the Republic of Cameroon in achieving major results for children:
The circulation of wild polio virus was stopped, with the last polio case
notified in July 2014. In April 2015, Cameroon was declared polio free by an
independent external evaluation.
Tens of thousands of refugees and host communities had their needs for
health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, education and child protection
met through an integrated humanitarian response.
Key stakeholders in water and sanitation, nutrition and child protection
were brought together to enhance coordination and shared accountability.
The governments commitment in reducing the countrys high levels of
malnutrition grew as a result of high-level advocacy. An inter-ministerial
committee to combat malnutrition, comprised of nine ministries, was set
up under the Prime Ministers Office. UNICEF was able to include nutrition
indicators within the performance-based financing scheme supported by
the World Bank. This will help to scale up nutrition interventions within the
health sector.
In the area of participation and social accountability, U-Reporta poll survey
technology based on SMSwas launched in Cameroon in 2015. Through
U-Report, UNICEF is aiming to build a cohesive citizen-led dialogue on social
development and human and child rights which can be communicated to
policymakers and publicized in the media to influence social change.

UNICEFs strategic role in Cameroon was repositioned following a mid-term

review of the country programme.
The importance of working at national and sub-national levels to better influence
national and sectoral policies and increase allocation of government resources to
social sectors was emphasized.
At downstream level, a stronger focus was put on a programme aligned to the
key areas of the global UNICEF Strategic Plan 20142017 and one that aims at
increasing demand and uptake of social services.
The country programme also sought to address the root causes of vulnerabilities
and inequities, including social norms which are harmful to childrens rights, and
prioritized holistic community-based approaches for children.
As we move into the next two years of our country programme, UNICEF is
committed to advancing children and womens rights in Cameroon. We look
forward to our continued partnership with the government, donors and partners.
Together we will be able to offer a safe and enabling environment for children.
We will ensure that no child is left aside and that sufficient resources are invested
in children. Children of today are the generation of 2030.

Felicite Tchibindat
UNICEF Representative in Cameroon
Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 3

22.2 million

Cameroon at a glance

Total population

49%

Children under 18 (as

16%

Cameroon is a middle-income nation,

but like many of its peers, it is not an
inclusive country where everyone
reaps the benefits of economic
prosperity.

Children under 5 (as a

FAR
NORTH

People living in pover

2.07 million

NORTH

Despite being endowed with significant natural

resources, including oil and gas, timber, minerals
and agricultural products, Cameroon continues to
rank low in human development, coming in at 153
of 187 countries in the 2015 Human Development
Index.

More than a third of

the population lives in
poverty and poverty rates
have hardly changed in
the past 15 years.

People in need of humani

(includes refugee, internally disp

The four regionsFar North,

North, Adamawa and the East
regionare the poorest and
most disadvantaged in terms of
access to services.

ADAMAWA

NORTHWEST
SOUTH
WEST

103/1,000

Under-five mortality

782/100,000

Maternal mortality ra

32%

WEST

Children who are stun

CENTRE
LITTORAL

Yaound

SOUTH

Children are hardest hit by poverty. In Cameroon,

children born to the poorest families are two and half
times more at risk of dying before the age of 5, twice
as likely to not complete primary school and four
times more likely to be stunted.
4 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

37.5%

East

Cameroon also hosts the largest

number of Central African refugees.
Most are spread over 6 camps and 300
community sites and villages across
the East and Adamawa regions. Since
2014 the country has also received
thousands of refugees fleeing Boko
Haram attacks in Nigeria. Most of
them have been living in Minawao
refugee camp in the Far North region.

35%

Households with access

73%

Households with access

16%

Girls aged 611 who have

31%

Women (2024 years) wh

Source: Demographic project

Camerounaise Auprs des M
Health Survey (DHS) 2011.

a percentage of the total population)

percentage of the total population)

verty in 2014 (compared to 40% in 2007)

humanitarian assistance

placed, food insecure people and host population groups)

y rate

ratio

unted

access to improved toilets/latrines

access to improved sources of drinking water

have never been to primary school (compared to 12% of boys)

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Snapsho

who were married as children (before 18 years)

tions issued by the National Bureau of Census and Population Studies; Enqute
nages 2014; Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014; Demographic and

Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 5

NUTRITION
UNICEF and partners in action

Proportion of children under five stunted

Trends in stunting among children under 5,

20042014

Advocacy

60
50

40
30

Services

20
10
0

Poorest

Quintile 2
2004

Quintile 3
2011

Quintile 4
2014

Source: DHS 2004, DHS 2011 and MICS 2014

Up to 1.2 million of children are

stunted.
More than 190,000 children are
wasted70,000 severely wasted.
2 out of 3 children are anaemic.
Only 28% of children are exclusively
breastfed.
Only 20.9% have a minimum
acceptable diet.
45% of child deaths are linked to
undernutrition.

Source: Enqute Camerounaise Auprs des Mnages 2014;

MICS 2014; SMART survey 2014; Lancet 2013.

6 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

Richest

Coordination of the nutrition response.

Nutrition advocacy with senior officials in Parliament,
civil society and private sector.
Building a strong knowledge base on nutrition in
Cameroon.

Twice yearly Vitamin A supplementation and

deworming for children under 5.
Improving infant and young children feeding practices.
Management of severe acute malnutrition cases.
Home food fortification to reduce anaemia.
Emergency response
Nutrition services for refugee, displaced and foodinsecure children.
Nutrition-sensitive interventions in emergency water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH), HIV, child protection
and mental health programmes.
Capacity building
Skills development of partners in data analysis and
supply management.
Resource mobilization
Domestic funding of nutrition through the private
sector
Fundraising with new donors
Leveraging resources from other partners
Partnerships
Technical assistance to the government, private sector
engagement, partnership with academia, training of
parliamentarians and working with donors to integrate
nutrition into funding schemes.

Results for children in 2015

3,400 cases of severely malnourished children
identified in refugees camps in East region. 364

families trained in psychosocial stimulation to promote

their childrens mental and motor development.
Around 65,000 severely malnourished children under 5
(95% of the target) admitted to therapeutic care. Of these,
46,000 children or 71% were cured.

44,942 cartons of therapeutic food and 970

Alphonse Barba | a 13-month-old

therapeutic milk provided to treat malnutrition.

malnourished boy

4.3 million children over the age of 1 year

In a Kar-Hay community health centre, baby Alphonse lies

pale and listless in the arms of his mother. Only just over a
year old, he weighs 5kg and his body mass is half of what
is normal for his age. Janine, his mother, explains: He just
started losing weight, had watery stool, was very tired and
dizzy. I took him to our traditional healer for treatment
against infant diseases but his condition worsened.

dewormed 86% of the target.

4.9 million children (6 months to 5 years)

supplemented with Vitamin A 84% of the target.
52,488 mothers in the North region sensitized on infant
and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and micronutrient
powder use.
1,856 people trained in IYCF practices in five regions.

2
3

AN
TH

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The European
Commissions Humanitarian
Aid and Civil Protection department
(ECHO); Bureau of Population, Refugees
and Migration (US State Department);
Government of Japan; Central Emergency
Response Funds (CERF) and UNICEF
National Committees of Spain and Italy.

S
OR

UNICEF successfully supported:

The creation of an inter-ministerial committee
on nutrition (nine ministries involved) within the
Prime Ministers Office.
The accelerated action plan for nutrition adopted;
focused on the most vulnerable population.
Inclusion of nutrition indicators in the World Bank
performance-based financing strategy of health
sector.

Malnutrition is a silent killer. Parents or caregivers often ignore

the symptoms and dont take a child to the clinic until he or
she is very sick. At an acute and severe stage, malnutrition
is life threatening. Health experts highlight that due to poor
nutrition, the early days of a young childs life are very critical.
Most families dont eat food that provides the right nutrients,
vitamins, and minerals. However, things are changing
medical workers say. Thanks to the intervention of UNICEF
with various medical equipment, drugs and other assistance
to fight malnutrition, this health district is able to identify,
treat and also monitor cases, said one of the health staff at
the Kar-Hay community health centre. Little Alphonse and
many other malnourished children are now benefiting from
free medical attention and have seen their health improve
dramatically after a few days of intensive care.

Total amount raised in 2015 for

NUTRITION:

US$5,055,085

Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 7

HEALTH
UNICEF and partners in action

Trends in under-five mortality, 20042014

Advocacy

200
150
100

50
0

Quintile 1 Quintile 5
2004

Urban
2011

Rural

Male

Female

2014

Source: MICS 2004, 2011 and 2014; DHS 2004 and 2011.

1 in 8 children dies before the age of 5.

1 in 13 children dies before the age of 1.
1 in 30 babies dies in their first month of life.
The top 3 child killers are malaria (21%),
diarrohea (17%) and acute respiratory
infections (17%).

Source: Situation Analysis of Children in Cameroon - Towards a Better

Future for Children in Cameroon, UNICEF, 2016.

Services

Support to government coordination of disease and Ebola surveillance.

Advocacy to improve the cold chain, strengthen routine immunization and respond to polio
outbreaks.
Advocacy to scale up newborn care such as Kangaroo Mother Care and use of antibiotics to
fight newborn infections.
Governors Forum organized in five regions to support polio immunization rounds.
Integrated community-based management of childhood infections.
Mass immunization campaigns for children under 5.
Introduction of measles-rubella combined vaccine and the injectable polio vaccine into
routine vaccination schedule.

Emergency response
Updating the cholera contingency response plan for East and Adamawa regions.
Three-pronged immunization strategy: mass campaigns, systematic vaccination of
newcomers at entry points and routine vaccination.
Distribution of LLITNs for malaria prevention.
Capacity building
15,866 social mobilisers trained and deployed in all 10 regions to support polio immunization.
Training 40+ community radios to produce high-quality, targeted radio messages, as well as
trans-border stations involved in the Central African Republic refugee crises.
Developing the skills of service providers on polio epidemic preparedness and response;
seasonal malaria chemoprevention strategy; cholera response; neonatal care; and
decentralized monitoring for action.
Mass sensitization campaign against Ebola in the South region.
Partnerships
Partnerships with 177 community radio stations, 67 womens groups and youth groups,
traditional leaders, trade practitioners, civil authorities and religious groups.
Support to coordination of H4+ partnership to improve maternal, newborn and child health.
Funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation (SIDA) and managed by
WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, UN Women and The World Bank.
Partnerships with 4,000 women from 69 womens group in the Central and Littoral regions to
support polio immunization.

8 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

Results for children in 2015

THANK YOU TO

Cameroon declared polio free by an

independent external evaluation in April 2015.

DO

RS
NO

Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) successfully

introduced in Cameroon in July 2015.

111,233 refugee children under 15 immunized

against measles.
269,089 children under 15 vaccinated during
measles epidemic.
20,678 women of reproductive age vaccinated
against tetanus.
To prevent malaria, 86,980 LLINs distributed to
8,085 refugee families in refugee-designated
sites and 38,480 refugee and host families in
communities.

3,500 LLINs distributed to pregnant women

and mothers of children under 5 in the Far North

region.
30 health facilities received medicines to treat

152,993 patients (including 2,322 newborn

babies).

OU

The Government of the R

United States of America; the
Global Thematic Humanitarian
Response Fund; GAVI Fund; the Government
of Japan; the United Kingdom Department
for International Development; the
Islamic Development Bank; the Swedish
International Development Cooperation
Agency; the Rotary Fund; the Reproductive,
Maternal, Newborn and Child Trust Fund
and UNICEF UK.
Total amount raised in 2015 for HEALTH:

US$12,794,487
Mosquito nets curb malaria
consultations dramatically
The community of Moutourwa in the Mayo Kani division of the Far North
region is making history in its fight against malaria. With funding from
the Japanese government, UNICEF has been distributing mosquito nets to
vulnerable women and children in the area. This has resulted in a significant
drop in malaria cases. According to the Senior Warden of the Moutourwa
District Hospital, Hassana Mama, before the nets were distributed, there
were on average 150 patients with diagnosed malaria every month. After
distribution, the number dropped to 50.
Malaria is the leading cause of illness and death in the Moutourwa locality.
But the use of mosquito bed nets is reversing the situation. Since the
distribution of mosquito bed nets started, our hospitalization wards are
empty, said Hassana Mama. In the maternity section, the impact was also
visible. Thanks to the distribution of mosquito bed nets to pregnant women,
we have witnessed a rise in the number of women received for antenatal care
from 20 women per month to 40 women per month, disclosed Mariatou
Bichar, head of the maternity section.

Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 9

WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE

Access to safe drinking water and adequate
sanitation, 2014

UNICEF and partners in action

Advocacy

93

73
56

54

Services

35
15
% of households using
improved toilets that are not
shared with others

% of households using an
improved source of water
Total

Urban

Rural

Source: MICS 2014

10 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

Sustainable management of water points by

councils.
Ending open defecation and promoting
Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) with
local and administrative authorities.

CLTS activities launched in 613 villages.

Distribution and prepositioning of 118,626
WASH kits.
Construction and rehabilitation of 202
boreholes.
Construction of 1,134 emergency latrines and
98 institutional latrines.
Emergency response
47 partners trained on the WASH emergency
response.
Coordination of WASH sector response to
emergencies.
Preparedness and response to the cholera
epidemic.
Capacity building
Establishment and training of 250 water point
management committees.
Training of 128 water pump repair technicians
and providing them with 26 sets of water pump
toolkits.
Training of 102 NGO social workers and 1,899
community members on CLTS.
Partnerships
Promotion of public-private partnerships.

Results for children in 2015

400,000 people in East, Adamawa, North
and Far North regions reached through WASH
activities.
106,500 people got access to improved

latrines.

70,000 people got access to safe drinking

water.

12,551 children recovering from severe acute

malnutrition received WASH kits with key hygiene
messages.
2,591 affected families in communities hosting
refugees received WASH kits with key hygiene
messages.

2
3
4

In Gonai Gatchou, Moulvoudaye, a lasting

change has swept over the village. Every
family now has a latrine where none existed
before. Open defecation is a thing of the
past, says the village head. Gonai Gatchou is
one of the 400 villages in the Far North region
where UNICEF has helped to put an end to
using the bush, fields, open streams or rivers
as a toilet. The project helps communities to
inculcate a culture of hygiene and sanitation
using participatory methods. Each family
digs its own latrine and ensures that every
member washes his or her hands with soap
after visiting the toilet. We have learnt to
wash our hands with soap. We use wood
ash to wash our hands in the absence of
soap, says Jean Tobokbe, a villager. Since we
started using latrines, the number of children
complaining of stomach aches has reduced
tremendously. Diseases like diarrhea and
cholera are now rare in our village, she says.

AN
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OR

UNICEF successfully supported:

Development of the CLTS national strategy,
including guidelines for CLTS implementation,
with the Ministry of Water.
Formulation of the WASH-in-schools strategy
with the Ministry of Basic Education.
Establishment of the WASH sector group of
technical and financial partners.
Inventory and mapping of WASH
infrastructures in the disadvantaged Far North
region.

Old habits can be

broken

The Government of the

United States of America; the
Government of Japan; Global
Thematic Humanitarian Response
Fund and CERF.
Total amount raised in 2015
for WATER, SANITATION AND
HYGIENE:

US$6,495,362

Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 11

EDUCATION
Trends in primary school enrolment, 20042014

UNICEF and partners in action

50,000
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0

Advocacy

20
04
/2
00
20
5
05
/2
00
20
6
06
/2
00
7
20
07
/2
00
8
20
08
/2
00
9
20
09
/2
01
0
20
10
/2
01
1
20
11
/2
01
2
20
12
/2
01
3
20
13
/2
01
4

Services

Source: Ministry of Basic Education/EMIS 2014

15.7% of children aged 35 attend

preschools in rural areas compared to
44.3% in urban areas.

Only 53% of children of the right age

attend secondary school compared to
85% of primary-aged children in primary
school.

15.5% of the national budget is

allocated to education sector.

Source: MICS 2014; Lois des Reglements, 2014.

12 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

Advocating early childhood development

among refugee communities.
Promoting girls education.

Strengthening education information

management and management
mechanisms in the context of
emergencies.
Supplying teaching and learning materials
for teachers and pupils .
Emergency response
Increasing childrens access to quality
education among refugee, displaced and
host communities in the East, Adamawa
and the Far North regions.
Capacity building
Capacity building of six education
inspectors, 730 teachers and 580 members
of school management committees in
resilience, education in emergencies and
peace-building.
Technical support to the Ministry of
Education to strengthen disaggregated
vulnerability mapping.

Results for children in 2015

112,340 children in the East, Adamawa, North
and Far North regions benefited from teaching and
learning supplies.
51,313 refugee children and 42,950 children
in the East, Adamawa, North and Far North regions
got access to child-friendly temporary learning spaces
(ETAPE). Three preschools were set up in Minawao
refugee camp, with 543 children, including 272
girls, enrolled.

UNICEF successfully supported:

Development of a national community
preschool strategy.

Development of a WASH in schools strategy.

Baseline education survey of Baka and

Bororo ethnic minorities.

Bottleneck analysis of the barriers to

childrens education.

School children as agents

of change
Yaya Saidou is a 13-year-old Minister of Health at his
school in Zokok-Laddeo village in Far North region.
Assisted by health delegates from all classes, he helps to
ensure that the school, and especially the toilets, are kept
clean. Yaya holds cabinet meetings in which the pupils
discuss the implementation of their policies and how to
deal with other issues, such as the lack of discipline.

Within the context of this project, UNICEF has supported

the construction of boreholes and modern latrines for
more than 700 boys and girls. Since then, fewer children
are absent from school. Also the culture of hand washing
and the respect for hygiene have not only been embraced
in the school, but have a positive spillover effect in the
community. Many parents tell me that their children are
always putting pressure on them to wash their hands
with soap, said the school director.

AN
TH

K YOU TO OUR

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The Government of
the United States of America,
European Commission/ECHO;
United Nations Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs; Global Thematic
Humanitarian Response Fund; the
Government of Japan; the Government

S
OR

According to the school director, the work by the Minister

of Health and his teamin instilling hygienic habits
has largely contributed to a successful school WASH
programme.

of Canada and UNICEF UK.

Total amount raised in 2015 for
EDUCATION:

US$4,084,525

Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 13

child protection
Trends in early marriage, birth registration and
child labour per wealth status, 2014

UNICEF and partners in action

Advocacy

100

92,7

90

85,9

80

70,9

70

64,5

60,9

60

58,4

50

Services
51,3

40

32,8

36,2

30

20,1

20

18,5

18,2
12,3

10
0

Poorest

7,6

Quintile 2 Quintile 3 Quintile 4

3,2
Richest

Early marriage (% of women 1549 years)

Birth registration (% of children under 5)
Child labour (% of children 517 years)

Source: MICS2014

11% of adult women were married before the age

of 15 at national level; in the North region, more
than twice as many were married before 15 (24%).

48% of adolescent girls aged 1517 have

experienced physical or sexual abuse at least once.

66% of children under 5 have birth registration at

national level; in the Far North region, only 42% have
birth registration.

Source: MICS 2014

14 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

Supporting inter-ministerial coordination of child protection sector.

Advocacy with parliamentarians, Ministry of Justice, civil society, and traditional
and religious leaders to increase the age of marriage for girls; prevent
detention of children and provide alternative methods to imprisonment; and
stop sexual violence against children.

Modeling a decentralized, community-based and formal child protection

system.
Improving universal birth registration within the legal deadline.
Establishment of a data collection and monitoring system on child well-being,
children at risk and child rights violations.
Strengthening access to justice for children.
Using community dialogue and social mobilization to change social norms
and harmful traditional practices that violate child rights.
Emergency response
Preventing family separation and registration, tracing and family reunification
of unaccompanied and separated children.
Release, demobilization and interim care of children recruited by armed
groups.
Monitoring and reporting on grave child rights violations.
Psychosocial support to children affected by conflict.
Capacity building
Technical support to the Ministry of Social Affairs to develop policies and
strengthen service delivery.
Technical support to the National Civil Registration Office to improve the birth
registration system.
Technical support to develop a child protection information management
system.
Partnerships
UNICEF supports inter-sectoral partnership and coordination within the
government to develop a comprehensive child protection system.

Results for children in 2015

In the East and Adamawa regions, 357 separated
children and 77 unaccompanied children identified
among refugees and placed in foster families.
Among these, 10 internally displaced and separated
children reunified with their families.
In the Far North region, 128 unaccompanied
children and 72 separated children identified
among refugees and placed in foster families.
Among internally displaced communities, 258
unaccompanied children and 1,225 separated
children identified were referred to the International
Committee of the Red Cross for family tracing and
reunification.

34,527 refugee children benefited from

psychosocial activities through child-friendly spaces.

YOU TO OU

RD

Governments of
Canada and Japan; CERF and
Global Thematic Humanitarian
Response Fund.

When Tina was identified as an unaccompanied

child, she received clothing, psychosocial support
and personal hygiene products. She was then taken
into a foster family while efforts are made to find
her own family. In the meantime, Tina attends a
child-friendly space supported by UNICEF. She is also
learning to sew, garden and cook and is excited to
show off her new skills to her parents one day. I am
happy that, in the absence of my own family, I am
protected by another family, she says.

K
AN
TH

OR

For a few minutes at a time, 11-year-old Tina can

forget the journey she has undertaken to come
here, fleeing the violence in Nigeria on her own. Its
been nine months since Tina crossed the border into
northern Cameroon without her family. Armed men
attacked our village, and they burned down our
houses, she recalls. I just ran away and followed
other people. After several days, she reached the
Minawao camp. We made a long and difficult
trip, she says. I was with men, women and children
fleeing the war. I had to follow them, and I was really
scared of what happened to our village.

ON

UNICEF successfully supported:

Endorsement by the National Office on Civil
Registration of the Africa Programme on
Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration
and Vital Statistics (APAI-CRVS).
Comprehensive assessment of the CRVS system
and preparation of costed national plans.
Establishment of the Inter-ministerial Committee
on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics.
The African Unions campaign to end child
marriage and establishment of a national
platform to accelerate the end of child marriage
in Cameroon.

Alone but in good hands

Total amount raised in 2015 for

CHILD PROTECTION:

US$2,270,216

*Name has been changed.

Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 15

HIV & AIDS

UNICEF and partners in action
Advocacy

Services

Teenage girls (1519 years) are twice as likely to be living with HIV
and AIDS (2% prevalence).

Only 32% of teenage girls and young women (1524 years) have
comprehensive knowledge of HIV and AIDS compared to 41% of
adolescent boys and young men.

53.3% of HIV-positive pregnant women have access to PMTCT

services at national level.

Only 6.5% of HIV-positive children under 14 have access to ARV

treatment.

Source: MICS 2014; DHS 2011; Situation Analysis of Children in Cameroon - Towards a Better Future for
Children in Cameroon, UNICEF, 2016.

16 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

Support to the UNAIDS and UNICEF All In to End

Adolescent AIDS initiative, especially advocacy to scale
up HIV prevention, treatment and care services for
adolescents.

Supply of dry blood spot commodities for early infant

HIV testing of 25,000 exposed children.
Distribution of reagents for CD4 PIMA machines to
enable 2,000 CD4 tests.
Provision of 15,000 rapid tests.
Emergency response
HIV testing of pregnant women in refugee camps and
host communities.
Referral of HIV-positive children who were also suffering
from severe acute malnutrition.
Capacity building
Training 1,277 community workers in community
mobilization.
Training 900 health providers in national norms for
quality service delivery.
Developing the skills of 150 government and NGO
partners in decentralized monitoring to tackle
disparities in access, coverage and quality of mother
and child healthcare and PMTCT services.
Support to 4,610 trained peer educators to enhance
adolescent and youth HIV prevention.
Partnerships
UNICEF is a part of the UN joint team on AIDS. UNICEF
leads the PMTCT and paediatric care components in
collaboration with WHO and on youth and adolescents
together with UNFPA.

Results for children in 2015

70,221 pregnant women received HIV
counseling and testing.
93.15% of pregnant women who tested
positive (3,283 in total) put on ARV treatment to
prevent transmitting HIV to their babies.
84,500 adolescents and young people
sensitized on HIV prevention.

14,039 adolescent and youth counseled and

tested for HIV. Of these, 5,900 received results
and the 57 teens/young people who tested
positive were referred to treatment centres.

136 HIV-positive children with severe acute

malnutrition referred for HIV care and treatment.

2
3

UNICEF successfully supported:

Mobilization and sensitization of adolescents
and young people to test for HIV through
youth-friendly healthcare services and special
events.
Evaluation of the elimination of mother-tochild transmission (eMTCT) national plan.
Elaboration of an eMTCT operational plan and
the paediatric care treatment operational plan
for 20162017.

Esther Angel, a 35-year-old mother has been working as a

community relay and peer educator in Dschang since 2008.
Like all other peer educators at Saint Vincent Hospital, she is
HIV-positive. Her lifes mission is now to help others fight stigma
and live with hope and possibility. She is also one of many
women who has successfully benefitted from the prevention
of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme at the
hospital.
I love helping others go through their situation and encourage
infected women to give birth to HIV-free children, Esther says.
Today I am a happy mother of a healthy boy. All this started
with psychological support and treatment that I got from the
hospital.

AN
TH

K YOU TO OUR

DO

S
OR

(in 15 UNICEF-supported priority districts in the Far

North, North, East, Central and South regions)

The story of Esther Angel

The Government of Japan,

Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Government of Andorra,
Global Thematic HIV and AIDS Fund;
Global Thematic Humanitarian
Response Fund and National
Committee for Andorra.
Total amount raised in 2015
for HIV and AIDS:

US$1,920,794

At the Saint Vincent hospital, the PMTCT programme has

provided jobs to eight HIV champions such as Esther. They
have been trained and equipped with tools to reach out to
both HIV-positive and negative people in the hospital and
surrounding communities.
UNICEF is supporting PMTCT and youth HIV prevention
services in 15 divisions in Cameroon with funding, material
and training. More than 5,000 peer educators and community
relays workers have been trained. Another 1,000 will be trained
before the end of 2017. Esther and her fellow HIV champions
have contributed to improving access to PMTCT, which now
covers 95 per cent of women living with HIV in Dschana.
Knowledge of ones HIV status is vital, especially for pregnant
women, so that they can access appropriate treatment and
care for themselves and their infants before and after birth. Not
knowing ones HIV status acts as a barrier to PMTCT services,
says Dr Sobze, head of Dschang health district .

Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 17

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
UNICEFs work in external communication puts the spotlight on
the situation of children in Cameroon. By partnering with the
media, Parliament, local influencers and donors, childrens voices
and realities are brought to life and used to advocate for change.

UNICEF and partners in action

Advocacy and coordination
Field visits with media, donors and other partners.
Advocacy meetings and interviews with
the media, ministers, policy makers and
parliamentarians.
Production of advocacy documents.
Social media engagement.
Photo and video documentation.
Emergency response
Media and donor field visits to emergency
projects.
Organization of Sports for Development (S4D)
activities.
Photo and video documentation of UNICEFs
emergency response.
Capacity building
Training of journalists on child rights and feature
story writing.
Briefing of students from the Advanced School of
Mass Communication, University of Yaound 2,
on the negative effects of child marriage.
Briefing of school children on the Convention on
the Rights of the Child.
Partnerships
Child-friendly journalists programme in
Cameroon to be expanded to the West and
Central Africa region.

18 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

Results for children in 2015

More than 100 articles published in the media on UNICEFs work in
Cameroon.
More than 15,000 people reached on the UNICEF Cameroon Facebook
page.

7,000 copies of UNICEF Magazine produced. The magazine showcases

the improvements UNICEF Cameroon is making in the lives of children
and women, and provides visibility to donors and partners.

Special programmes on child marriage and equity broadcast on

national radio and TV.

50+ university students briefed on child marriage.

More than 100 students of ENKO College La Gaiete in Yaounde briefed
on equity.

More than 60 students from the University of Maroua attended a

conference on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT

UNICEF and partners in action

Advocacy and coordination
Advocacy meetings and community dialogues on childrens rights
and essential family practices, involving traditional and religious
leaders.
Support to regional and local coordination and follow up of
advocacy meetings and of rural radio activities with local listeners
clubs.
Emergency response
Training animators in refugee camps and hosting villages.
Supporting listeners clubs and women groups
Training C4D pools on educative talk and social mobilization.
Organizing campaigns on family practices in refugee camps.
Producing and dispatching C4D material (flyers, caps, T-shirts, charts
and training guide).
Capacity building
Training multi-sectoral C4D pools and networks of women and
youth groups on interpersonal communication to facilitate family
dialogues and home visits.
Capacity building for cross border radio practitioners from the
Eastern Cameroon and from Chad and the Central African Republic
on child and refugee rights, peace building and family practices.
Partnerships
Technical and operational partnership with the Ministry of Family
and Women Empowerment to enhance national social mobilization
capacity.
Partnership with community radios, mobile cinema, and informal
collaboration with a national network of traditional leaders.

Results for children in 2015

150 traditional and religious leaders in the East region and Adamawa
and 36 in the Far North region involved in advocacy meetings and
community dialogue on children rights and essential family practices.

5 support groups established in 5 health districts to carry out educative

talk on infant and young child feeding practices, especially exclusive
breastfeeding.

35 animators trained in refugee camps in the East, Adamawa and Far

North regions, and in the 5 villages hosting refugees.

10 listeners clubs in the East region active and eight womens groups in
Gado refugee camp trained on interpersonal communication.

111 C4D pools set up and trained, and 5 campaigns conducted on

essential family practices in Timangolo, Borgop, Mbile, Gado, Ngam
refugee camps.

474 members of C4D pools trained on the promotion of hygiene,

nutrition, mother and child health and child protection in 9 refugee sites
and 81 villages.
9 community radios bordering Nigeria and 56 community radio
practitioners from Chad, Central African Republic and Cameroon trained
on child and refugee rights, peace building and tolerance.

MEDIA REACH

Communication for Development (C4D) helps to change individual

behaviour and social norms to positively benefit children and women. It is
a two-way process for sharing ideas and knowledge, using communication
tools and approaches that empower people and communities to improve
the lives of the most vulnerable members of society.

60,000 refugees reached by 22 radio programmes.

35,000+ refugees and host community members reached by mobile
cinema on hygiene and maternal survival.
52 radios promoted best practices on health, nutrition, education
and hygiene.
1 video clip produced on children as peace builders in the East region.

Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 19

INNOVATIONS

WORKING WITH THE

PRIVATE SECTOR
Business impacts a wide range of childrens rights. But it also has enormous
power to improve the lives of children and protect them from harm through
the way in which it treats employees, operates its facilities, develops and
markets its products, provides its services, and exerts its influence on
economic and social development.
In Cameroon, UNICEF engages with the private sector to promote corporate
social responsibility (CSR) as a tool to advance child rights and to make business
practices child friendly.

In todays fast-moving world, UNICEF needs to respond and adapt quickly

to the rapidly evolving challenges affecting children. Using innovative
technology and practices is a key way to strengthen results for children.

U-report
U-Report is a tool that promotes community participation. Based on
SMS technology, U-Report aims to gather public opinion on policies,
programmes and community needs through polls. U-Report links people
with the government, National Assembly and mayors to share ideas and
influence decision making.

2,000 people reached by U-Report in Cameroon in 2015

A U-Report poll on WASH shows that 87%

of people in the capital, Yaounde, think

that
sanitation service providers do not do
87%
enough to manage their waste.

20 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

Strengthening CSR
UNICEF commissioned a study on the impact of the private sector in Cameroon
on childrens rights. The findings revealed a need to establish a CSR platform that
could bring companies together and help them share their experiences. The
creation of this platform is ongoing.

Childrens Rights and Business Principles

In October 2015, UNICEF Cameroon and consulting firm, PwC, organized a
workshop for more than 30 companies. The Childrens Rights and Business
Principles were presented to the participants as a tool to integrate children as
a specific stakeholder group in a CSR strategy. The 10 principles, developed by
UNICEF, Save the Children and the UN Global Compact, give companies a clear
idea of where and how their business might impact children. Several companies
said they are committed to incorporating these principles and UNICEF continues
to support them in doing so.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Cameroon faced major humanitarian crises in 2015. Around

300,000 vulnerable people from Central African Republic and
Nigeria continued to seek refugee in the country. In the Far North
region, 124,000 people were forced to flee their villages and live in
host communities as a result of conflict with Boko Haram.

Emergency funding, 2015

US$12,098,291

These two crises were also exacerbated by the deterioration of the

nutrition and food security crises as well as by cholera and measles
outbreaks. In 2015, it was estimated that 2.07 million people were in
need of humanitarian assistance.

US$40,200,000

To respond to the urgent needs to affected children and families,

UNICEF supplied key nutrition and health commodities and
medicines, trained health workers and supported screening and
treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition.
Psychosocial support was given to distressed children while the
families of unaccompanied and separated children were traced and
children reunited with them. To give children a sense of safety and
normality, childrens education was restored through temporary
learning spaces and teacher training.
UNICEF helped to promote essential family practices such as exclusive
breastfeeding and hand washing with soap to reduce the risk of
disease malnutrition in children.
Boreholes and latrines were constructed or rehabilitated to provide
access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. UNICEF also
supported the Ministry of Health to respond to cholera and measles
outbreaks.
UNICEF helped to strengthen coordination of the emergency response
by co-leading, in partnership with the government, stakeholder
groups in WASH, nutrition, education and child protection.

Total 2015 requirements

Funds available

Results for children in 2015

60,400 children under 5 treated for severe acute malnutrition, including
5,300 refugee children from the Central Africa Republic and Nigeria
admitted to nutrition centres and 19,300 children given WASH kits with key
hygiene messages.

125,000 refugee and internally displaced children benefited from teaching

and learning supplies.

75,100 refugee and displaced children provided with psychosocial support.

244,000 children, including 86,200 children from the Central African
Republic, vaccinated against measles.

Annual Report 2015 UNICEF Cameroon | 21

FUNDING
In 2015, UNICEF continued to nurture relationships with its main donors and
the private sector in Cameroon. Partnerships were also cemented with new
donors such as KfW, Islamic Development Bank and USAID. As a result, a total
of US$ 40.7 million was raised during the year, thanks to generous donor
contributions.
Funding by programme, 2015

UNICEF programme budget, 2015

US$5,488,043

US$3,928,105
US$1,888,264

Other Resources
(Emergency)
US$11,240,667

US$1,914,720

Regular
Resources
US$12,414,812

US$2,259,020

Other Resources
(Regular)
US$17,054,244

US$12,789,020

US$5,078,649

US$6,789,514

Education
Nutrition

22 | UNICEF Cameroon Annual Report 2015

HIV and AIDS

WASH
Social Policy and Planning

Child Protection
Health
Cross-sectoral programme

United Nations Childrens Fund UNICEF Cameroon

864, Avenue Winston Churchill
P.O. Box 1181 Hippodrome
Yaound
Republic of Cameroon
Tel: +237 22 22 31 82
Fax: +237 22 23 16 53
Web : www.unicef.org/cameroon/english/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/unicefcameroon
Twitter: @unicefcameroon