Digital Health: Nang app Connects Youths to Sexual Reproductive Healthcare Services

By Martial Gnoukapasi

Emmanuella Limnyuy

Emmanuella Limnyuy lives in Mulang, a locality within the Bamenda city council area in the North West region.

She specializes in traditional dress marking, from which she earns a living. 

Despite being a Degree holder in Theatre Television and Film Studies, the 26-year-old in an exclusive with MNews said, one of her greatest challenges till date remains the fact that she can't easily go to a pharmacy to get pregnancy prevention pill, following a series of stigmatization experienced from most pharmacy attendants. 

She said the situation is same each time she also tries to get a condom, reason why she seldomly go to get these items herself.

"The stigma is so so bad that it makes me ashame each time I go to a pharmacy. One of my encounters with a nurse when i got there to get a pill after sexual intercourse comes to mind. She looked at me funnily and told me i was too young to buy it. I looked at her and thought to myself - is the money coming from your pocket, what if I get pregnant against my wish? It would still be a problem if I come to you for abortion' - I got so furious and left angrily to another place without getting what i needed"

Emmanuella said her experience is same each time she tries to get a condom. She explained that it's very difficult to get it from familiar persons who operate retail outlets selling them around her area.

"Sometimes I prefer to trek long distances to get it from someone I don't know and who doesn't know me as well. I'm afraid that those I know may go and tell my mother afterwards if I get it from them. My parents, especially my mother is 'Very Wild' and I'm afraid of what she may do if she finds out i am already using a condom", In her own words.

She added that there are times she will get messages on radio explaining the signs and symptoms of certain STI's, she may be experiencing, yet won't go to the hospital for fear of the way she might be received and perceived.

"I feel sometimes like my secrets won't be safe with them" she added.

Emmanuella's story is not different from that of 28-year-old Yehjo Reneta. Speaking to MNews she said the first time she experienced her menstrual flow, she was terrified.

Yehjo Reneta Concentrates on a dress she was plaiting while speaking to MNews

"I shouted and called my elder brother. My elder tried educating me about it. But i remember when i started experiencing changes in my body as a woman, i told my aunt about it. She really didn't educate much about my sexuality. All she would do when I complained, was to tell me it's okay. I guess there's the difference between a mother and an aunt" she said.

Both Emmanuella and Reneta say they are very much happy with the way modern technology has greatly influence these old habits.

Both confessed to now know a good number of digital health tools which assists them to access information on their sexual reproductive health rights like the NANG, Bornfyn etc.

Emmanuella said" It's much easier when you sit at home and browse to know these things and with my smartphone i can even talk to a doctor easily"

The 'Nang' as an example, is a mobile health application launched on August 7 in 2022.

It is a mobile health solution that serves as a tool to provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and improve access to sexual and reproductive health services among youth in the country.

The Nang app displays on a smartphone device

The app was co-designed by medical doctors working with a non profit and non governmental organisation known as Youth2Youth, together with youths living in Bamenda, Cameroon.

Youth2Youth is a sexual reproductive health right and family planning advocate, primarily involved in health promotion amongst youths.

The structure since 2019, have been engaging youths, parents and other stakeholders on activities that educates society on the sexuality and reproductive health rights of teenagers and adolescents in our society.

The Nang app provides services including sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education, free telehealth consultations with a medical doctor, and geolocation services to locate a health facility near youths.

The founder, Dr Jacqueline N Fonkwo, speaking to MNews in an exclusive interview, said, her much concerned about the well-being of young people, especially those within the age range 10-14 is reason why she initiated the idea of the app.

"Nang is a digital space, first functional app of it's kind in the country that provides an exclusive opportunity for youths to get access to comprehensive sexuality education. Information which is W.H.O approved and culturally sensitive, which that speaks to the sexuality and reproductive health needs of the youths. That is, If a young girl of 15 is experiencing her menses and it skips for a month, or have cramps, she should be able to know what that means. Or if a boy at that age who sleeps and wake up with a wet pants, he should be able to know what that means as well and these are the information they will find on the app. So it provides information which youths are usually shy about, information which parents or adults shy from teaching their children about. They forget to understand that the youths have questions, questions that must be answered. And when they don't get it from the trusted source it can land them into trouble. So the Nang app has come to bridge this gap, as it answers all these questions for them in a single mobile application.."

Dr Jacky as she is commonly called, explained that society has put alot of stigma around sexual reproductive health which is challenging for the youths.

"..take for example today, when a young girl ask a question - How can I prevent getting pregnant?, She will get answers like 'you're not suppose to be sleeping with boys and when it finally happens that she sleeps with a boy, there's something known as emergency contraceptives but nobody talks about it. This is information they will get on nang. The app gives them the latitude to also talk to a health care provider to direct them on things to do as well"

Dr Jacqueline teaching youths on how to access the application

The Nang app contains information on Puberty, Menstrual hygiene, ovulation, contraceptives, pregnancy, ways of prevention etc and also has a section which makes it possible for youths to book appointments with healthcare experts and engaged in a conversation with them on their challenges in all privacy.

According to Dr Michael Besong, one of those who worked and consults via the app, all it takes after downloading and installing the app on a smart phone, is to register your information such as; names, email, contact number etc, to access it's content.

"So base on the topic of interest, youths can easily navigate what is of interest to them. It has readable texts and animated videos which can be watched" he said

Being a digital tool, it will require someone with a smartphone to be able to access, which means as of now it's still very challenging for adolescents or youths in rural setups with restricted access to smartphones and internet services.