Voices for Choice: How VIAC Transformed SRHR in Cameroon

Vision in Action Cameroon (VIAC) began in 2007 as a small community initiative led by a young person who had been trained as a peer educator through the Holiday Free AIDS project. Motivated by personal challenges and a desire to support others, he started providing peer-to-peer education on HIV prevention in schools and communities.

At the time of its Registration, communities, particularly those in underserved and crisis-affected areas faced widespread myths, misconceptions, and misinformation around contraception and reproductive health. These harmful beliefs contributed to high levels of unintended pregnancies, unsafe sexual practices, and restricted access to essential services.

Over time, a critical and more specific information gap became evident in relation to abortion. Numerous deaths were recorded due to unsafe abortion practices, driven by silence, stigma, and lack of accurate information. This reality became deeply personal when a close community member died because of unsafe abortion practices. Many women and girls lacked awareness of the availability of safe services, had limited understanding of the legal framework surrounding abortion, and faced stigma from families and communities. These barriers denied them the ability to make informed decisions about their bodies and access life-saving care.

In response, VIAC recognized the urgent need to go beyond awareness creation by sensitizing communities on the availability of safe services, promoting accurate information, and advancing understanding of sexual reproductive health and rights. The organization created safe spaces that empowered women and girls with strategies to navigate restrictive legal and social environments, while placing their needs, choices, and dignity at the Centre of all interventions.

Today, VIAC has grown into a national youth-led organization working across the four regions in Cameroon, with its main office in Buea, the southwest region, a project officer in Bamenda the Northwest region and two other satellite office in the Littoral and Central regions of Cameroon.

However, over time, information sharing alone became insufficient. Women and girls needed not only to know that safe services existed, but also where and how to access them. This gap led to the creation of the Aunty Queen Hotline, a trusted, confidential, and judgment-free platform providing accurate SRHR information, particularly on self-managed abortion (SMA), while linking individuals directly to safe and reliable service providers. Since its launch in 2021, the hotline has delivered life-saving information to thousands of individuals, including those in remote, underserved, and crisis-affected communities. Its reach demonstrates both growing awareness and the critical need for confidential SRHR support:

2021: 835 users (777 women, 47 men, 11 others)
2022: 1,623 users (1,485 women, 78 men, 60 others)
2023: 1,319 users (1,307 women, 10 men, 2 others)
2024: 1,672 users (1,619 women, 50 men, 3 others)
2025: 1,404 users (1,258 women, 143 men, 3 others)

As referrals increased, it became evident that the knowledge and practices of service providers differed, sometimes contributing to unsafe or inconsistent care. This highlighted the need to strengthen not only access but also the quality of services. In response, VIAC prioritized collective learning and collaboration, bringing together providers for training, knowledge exchange, and standardized safe practices.

Today, VIAC celebrates the significant achievement of operating a coordinated network of trained service providers across four regions in Cameroon. This network ensures improved quality, safety, confidentiality, and continuity of care. Together, the hotline and provider network function as a complementary system ensuring that individuals are not only informed, but are also effectively linked to safe, respectful, and reliable services, empowering them to make informed and confident decisions about their reproductive health.

One of VIAC’s most proud achievements remains the training and establishment of this network of community service providers including community clinics, drug stores, local providers, midwives, and nurses on the WHO protocol on self-managed abortion (SMA). From our most recent evaluation in November 2025, these providers reported an 8.3% increase in service uptake, linked to improved confidentiality, respectful care, and stronger referral practices through the hotline.