CAMEROON
Demographic Indicators
| Population (1,000s) | 13,852 | Growth Rate (%) | 2.9 |
| Infant Mortality Rate: Both Sexes |
80 87 73 |
Life
Expectancy: Both
Sexes |
53 52 54 |
| Crude Birth Rate | 43 | Crude Death Rate | 13 |
| Total Fertility Rate | 6.1 | Percent Urban | 45 |
| Note: Above Indicators are for 1995 | |||
| Cumulative AIDS rate (per 1000) as of 12/31/94 | .39 | ||
| Cumulative AIDS Cases as of 12/31/94 | 5,375 | ||
Sources: US Bureau of the Census, United Nations, World Health Organization
Country Profile
I. Socio-Demographic Indicators, 1995
| Estimated total population | 13,521,000a |
| Estimate of female population 15-49, 1995 | 709,000* |
| Estimate of female population 15-49, 1995 | 2,772,000* |
| Projected population of women age 15-19, 2000 | 813,000* |
| Projected population of women age 15-49, 2000 | 3,521,000* |
| Percent urban population | 41%a |
| Urban population | 5,571,000a |
| Rate of growth, percent | 2.9%a |
| Population doubling time, years | 24a |
| Life expectancy at birth for male/female years | 56/60a |
| Infant mortality rate, per 10000 live births | 65a |
| Mortality rate of children <age 5, per 1000 live births | 420a |
| Total fertility rate | 5.9%a |
| Average age at first marriage for women | 16.7dhs |
| Females age 15-19 as % of total female population, Urban/Rural | 10.7/8.9 |
| Females age 15-19 as % of female population 15-49dhs | 23.7% |
a: Country briefing packet: PRB, 1995
*: (age and sex distribution of the world populations-UN, 1994
Revision)
DHS: 1988 figures
II. Socioeconomic Characteristics
Ethnic groups: More than 200 ethnic groups: Cameroon Highlanders (31%), Equatorial Bantu (19%), Kirdi (11%), Fulani(10%) b
Languages: French (official) and English, more than 200 African languages b
Religions: Christian (33%), Muslim (16%), Indigenous African (51%) b
Annual per capita income (1987 est.): $190 b
Adult literacy rate for M/F: 66%/43%
Primary school gross enrollment ratio for M/F, 1986-1990 *: 109/93
Secondary school gross enrollment for M/F, 1986-1990: 32/23
Percent of married women in a polygamous relationship dhs: 38.6%
b: Background notes: US State Department, June
1992 and 1996 World Almanac
*: Ratio: total # enrolled in primary school / total # of primary
school age in population
III. Family Planning
| Activity | Yes/No | Date |
| Existence of policy development | Yes | NA |
| Existence of Family Planning strategy plan | Yes | NA |
| National Family Planning coordination | Yes | NA |
| Unmet Need for Family Planning | 22% | |
| Contraceptive prevalence rate among married women of reproductive age (MWRA) 1993 | |||
| All Methods | 16.1% | Modern Methods | 4.3% |
| Female sterilization | 1.2% | Pill | 1.2% |
| Male sterilization | 0.3% | Injectable | 0.4% |
| IUD | 0.3% | Condom | 0.9% |
| Female barrier | 0.3% | NORPLANT | - |
| Most recent source of procurement of modern contraceptives: | |||
| Public Sector | 30.5 % | Private Medical Sector | 60.6% |
| Hospital | 23.1% | Religious Hospital | 9.3% |
| PMI | 2.8% | Secular Hospital | 11.7% |
| Centre du Sante | 1.5% | Dispensaire Missionaire | 1.4% |
| Pharmacy | 3.1% | Pharmacy | 38.2% |
| Percent of married women according to distance of nearest health center with FP services | ||||
| Method | 0-4 km | 5-14km | 15-29km | 30+km |
| Urban | 86.4 | 35.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Rural | 40.4 | 35.6 | 11.0 | 13.0 |
| Total | 58.0 | 27.2 | 6.8 | 8.9 |
Minimum legal age at marriage for women: 15
Minimum legal age at marriage for men: 18
Legal status of abortion:
| Knowledge DHS survey, 1988 | |
| Percentage of women who know a specific contraceptive method: | All Women: 66.4 Married Women: 62.9 |
| Percentage of women with knowledge of at least three modern contraceptive methods: | Not Applicable |
| Percentage of women with knowledge of source for contraceptive information and services: | All Women: 51.4 Married Women: 48.4 |
| Percentage of women not using contraceptives because they want more children: | Age 15-29: 74.3% Age 30-49: 54.8% |
| Percentage of married women who do not want more children: | Urban: 16% Rural: 12.1% |
| Percentage of married women with unmet need/met need/ potential demand for Family Planning: | ||||||||
| Unmet Need | Met Need | Potential Demand | ||||||
| Spacing: 12.4% | Limiting: 9.6% | Total: 2.0% | Spacing: 11.0% | Limiting: 5.0% | Total: 16.1% | Spacing: 23.5% | Limiting: 14.6% | Total: 38.0% |
Average number of children desired by married
Female/Male
Urban: 5.9/9.4
Rural: 7.5/12.3
| Perceived Advantages of Children By Women 15-49 Years | |
| Economic | 59.0% |
| Socio-cultural | 17.9% |
| None | 11.0% |
| Psychological | 7.0% |
| NSP | 5.0% |
| Other | 1.0% |
IV. Media
| Percentage of households possessing working radio or television | ||
| Radio | Television | |
| Urban | 69.9 | 31.7 |
| Rural | 44.6 | 3.9 |
| Total | 54.0 | 14.2 |
| Media Access, 1992-1994 | |
| Daily Newspapers | 2 |
| Circulation | 100,000 |
| Circulation per 1000 | 8 |
| Radio sets (total) | 1,500,000 |
| Radio sets per 1000 | 131 |
| TV sets (total) | 250,000 |
| TV sets per 1000 | 21.8 |
(World Media Handbook 1992-1994**1995 edition)
| Media behavior by female population | ||
| Age | Watched TV at least 1x/per week | Listened to radio at least 1x/per week |
| 15-19 | 46.4 | 45.6 |
| 20-24 | 40.7 | 51.5 |
| 25-29 | 36.3 | 50.4 |
| 30-34 | 28.1 | 42.7 |
| 35-39 | 22.8 | 37.8 |
| 40-44 | 20.6 | 34.7 |
| 45-49 | 10.1 | 22.7 |
| Urban | 57.8 | 60.1 |
| Rural | 16.7 | 32.2 |
| Total | 34.0 | 43.9 |
| Percentage of women who have heard or read a family planning message | |||||
| None | Radio only | TV only | Newspaper/magazine/poster | Other media | |
| Urban | 75.6 | 7.7 | 4.7 | 2.0 | 10.0 |
| Rural | 93.8 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| Total | 86.2 | 5.2 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 5.0 |
Percentage of women who approve using radio or television to diffuse Family Planning messages urban/rural: 75.7% / 55.1%
| Couples attitudes about Family Planning | |
| Couples disapprove | 49.5% |
| Couples approve | 22.8% |
| Only men approve | 11.9% |
| Only women approve | 11.8% |
| ND | 4.0% |
Percentage of husbands who approve of
the diffusion of family planning messages on radio or television
by urban rural status:
Urban: 64.2
Rural: 51.9
Percentage of husbands who know one
method of contraception and approve of family planning:
Urban: 55.1
Rural: 26.6
V. AIDS
| Estimates of HIV-1 seroprevalence, by residence and risk factor | |||
| Capital/Major City | Outside Major City | ||
| Low risk | High risk | Low risk | High risk |
| 5.7c | 45.3 | 2.9 | 9.0 |
Rate represents infection with HIV1 only and dual infection,
HIV1 & HIV2
c: Data are combined
Definition: High risk - prostitutes and clients,
STD patients, or other persons with known risk factors; Low
risk - pregnant women, blood donors, or other persons
with no known risk factors.
| AIDS cases reported to WHO by country/area | ||||||
| 1979-92 | 1993 | 1993 Rate* | 1994 | 1994 Rate | 1995 | Total |
| 2197 | 1761 | 14.4 | 1417 | 11.3 | NA | 5375 |
| *: per 100,000; Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) | ||||||
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