Cameroon strives to curb maternal and infant mortality in restive Anglophone regions

Cameroon is striving to "significantly" reduce the number of children and mothers dying in the two war-torn English-speaking regions of the country, the Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda said on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, 40 percent of health centers have been shut down in the regions following clashes between government forces and armed separatist groups.

"Several pregnant women and newborns have no medical follow-up in the regions," Fouda said in the capital Yaounde at the start of consultative talks on how to check maternal and infant deaths in the troubled regions.

"We have seen the necessity to have a working session with the different health partners both national and international in order to harmonize and reinforce our capacities in solving the problems." Fouda said.

Fighting between government forces and armed separatists started in October last year after the separatists declared "independence" of the two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest.

Over 200,000 people have been displaced internally by the conflict, according to the United Nations.