Determinants of inequalities in pregnant women’s access to medicines in Cameroon

Objectives This article aims to analyse the determinants of inequalities in access to essential medicines for pregnant women in Cameroon. Method Data for this cross-sectional study come from the fifth Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey (EDSC) (2018) and we use the concentration index to measure the degree of inequality in access to medicine. We use the Wagstaff et al. decomposition method to identify the relative contribution of different explanatory factors. Results The results show that calculations of the concentration index (CI) by individual groups reveal the existence of significant determinants of inequalities in access to essential medicines, primarily explained by household living standards. The “poor” category contributes positively to inequalities (60.0%), while middle-income (-69.4%) and high-income (-61.0%) households contribute to reducing them. The head of household’s education level also contributes significantly, particularly secondary education (-16.2%), reflecting the protective role of educational capital. Conclusion Policies aimed at improving access to medicines should prioritize disadvantaged households and strengthen financial protection mechanisms to reduce the economic barriers that limit the use of essential medicines during pregnancy.