By Shantha Bloemen BAFUT DISTRICT, Cameroon, 22 October 2010 –
In the forests of northwest Cameroon, steep rutted dirt roads
cling precariously to mountainsides, occasionally slipping into
the ravines below. Distance here can’t be measured in mere
kilometres, but in the effort it takes to get from one place to
the next. |VIDEO: UNICEF's Shantha Bloemen reports on a massive
immunization campaign working in Cameroon to wipe out tetanus.
Watch in RealPlayer| To get from Bridget Apum’s village to the
nearest health center, 5 km away, requires a huge effort –
especially when pregnant or in labour. So Bridget’s daughter,
Irene Tanyi, delivered her baby at home. “My daughter went in to
labour in the evening,” recalled Ms. Apum. “But there was no car
to take her to the clinic to deliver, so we called the local
midwife and she came and delivered the baby. |© UNICEF video|
|Mothers and children in northwest Cameroon wait to receive
tetanus vaccines at a makeshift immunization centre.| “She cut
the umbilical cord with a