For four days, Bafoussam hosted the official celebrations of World Population Day. Focused on youth, awareness, and development, the 2026 edition brought together more than 5,000 participants around civic, sports, and health activities.
From July 8 to 11, 2026, Bafoussam established itself as the national epicenter of World Population Day. Administrative authorities, development partners, and civil society organizations joined forces to promote youth rights, reproductive health, and the importance of demographic data in public policies.
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The celebration was marked by a sports march that gathered nearly 300 young people, as well as a women’s football final won 2-0 by Elat Epanda. At Market A, the Central Bureau of Censuses and Population Studies (BUCREP), the National Institute of Statistics (INS), and several mobile clinics, with support from UNFPA, ACMS, Médecins du Monde, and WA Cameroon, brought sexual and reproductive health services closer to the populations while raising awareness about the importance of the fourth General Population and Housing Census coupled with the General Census of Agriculture and Livestock.
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Speaking, the UNFPA resident representative, Dr. Justin Koffi, invited young people to take ownership of the census, presented as a lever for development planning. His interim deputy, Samuel Kissi, emphasized the need to invest in the capacities and choices of young people. Representing the government, the Secretary General of the West region, Adray Epente Tazeu, reaffirmed the public authorities’ commitment to implementing projects aimed at improving the economic prospects of youth.
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