The COVID-19 pandemic put tremendous pressure on the healthcare sector, with governments diverting their resources to COVID-19 prevention and treatment measures. It severely affected routine service delivery in health facilities, with some essential services, such as sexual reproductive healthcare not being accorded the priority they deserve. Many health facilities scaled down on their regular services, with some suspending services or shutting down some clinics altogether.

Government lockdowns and movement restrictions led to low uptake of clients in health facilities, a situation further compounded by people’s anxieties about contracting the virus in health centers. As a result, many adolescent girls, women in the reproductive age group, men and young people were unable to access sexual and reproductive healthcare services at their regular health facilities. These services included contraceptives, ante-natal, safe delivery and post-natal care services, HIV & AIDS services, Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) treatment and management, among other services.

International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) Member Associations (MAs) which offer quality and affordable Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services were not spared either, and to address this, had to be innovative in their response. In Cameroon, IPPF’s Member Association in the country - Cameroon National Association for Family Welfare (CAMNAFAW) – decided to respond to the sharp decline in clients seeking services at its facilities by adopting an innovative home-based service delivery approach. This strategy enabled CAMNAFAW to continue offering much-needed reproductive healthcare services to its clients during the pandemic.

Download the complete case study here: Adopting a Home-based Service Delivery Approach in Cameroon