The maternal mortality ratio is unacceptably high in Africa. Forty per cent of all pregnancy-related deaths worldwide occur in Africa. On average, over 7 women die per 1,000 live births. About 22,000 African women die each year from unsafe abortion, reflecting a high unmet need for contraception. Contraceptive use among women in union varies from 50 per cent in the southern sub-region to less than 10 per cent in middle and western Africa" UNFPA
Early and unwanted childbearing, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and pregnancy-related illnesses and deaths account for a significant proportion of the burden of illness experienced by women in Africa. Gender-based violence is an influential factor negatively impacting on the sexual and reproductive health of one in every three women. Many are unable to control decisions to have sex or to negotiate safer sexual practices, placing them at great risk of disease and health complications.
According to UNAIDS, there is an estimated of 22.2 million people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan African in 2009, which represents 68% of the global HIV burden. Women are at higher risk than men to be infected by HIV, their vulnerability remains particulary high in the Sub-Saharan Africa and 76% of all HIV women in the world live in this region.
In almost all countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, the majority of people living with HIV are women, especially girls and women aged between 15-24. Not only are women more likely to become infected, they are more severely affected. Their income is likely to fall if an adult man loses his job and dies. Since formal support to women are very limited, they may have to give up some income-genrating activities or sacrifice school to take care of the sick relatives.
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In “Standing Up, Speaking Out”, a new UNAIDS report launched on 12 July in Cairo, Egypt, 140 women living with HIV from 10 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) express the realities that shape the hopes and grievances of their lives. The voices in the report belong to members of MENA-Rosa, the first regional group dedicated to women affected by HIV.
Source: Infection Control Today
In an article published today in the July issue of Health Affairs, two leading physicians and researchers at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) argue that eliminating HIV infection from mother to child in some countries that are worst affected by the HIV epidemic will require improvements to maternal and child health services. The success of the ambitious global initiative to decrease infant HIV infections by 90 percent is critically dependent on easy access to routine maternal and child health services.
Source: CNN
The number of women dying of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications has been cut nearly in half over the past two decades, reflecting important and hard-won gains in improving access to family planning and maternal health across the world.
Source: 7th Space Interactive
Limpopo Health and Social Development MEC Dr Norman Mabasa has urged women to undergo tests in order to curb illnesses that threaten their reproductive health.
Source: VOA
Health authorities say 70,000 children are born HIV-positive in Nigeria every year, and one-fourth of them don't live past their first birthday. While some officials say they want to make Nigeria one of Africa's first nations to give birth to a generation of HIV-free babies, activists say poverty, stigma and a lack of government support make that goal lofty, if not impossible.
Source: AlertNet
African leaders should increase funding for contraceptive services if they want to reduce poverty and hunger, the prime ministers of Ethiopia and Rwanda said ahead of an international summit on family planning.
Source: Xperedon
Dates set for Nobel Prize 2012 announcements but what about an African midwife as a future winner?
The date is now released for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize announcement...
Meanwhile, a humanitarian charity is stepping up its campaign for an African midwife to be honoured in the future...
Source: AllAfrica
The Summit on Family Planning drew policy makers, donors and health professionals to London on 11 July to discuss how to provide access to contraceptives to more of the world's poorest women who want them. The goal going forward is to enable an additional 120 million women in poor countries to use modern family methods. Organizers say this will save the lives of 200,000 women who will otherwise die from pregnancy or childbirth; prevent 110 million unwanted pregnancies; result in 50 million fewer abortions; and save the lives of three million babies.
Source: The New Times
Today is the 22nd annual World Population Day, and this year's theme is 'Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services'. The theme is also in line with the Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG5), which is to 'Achieve Universal Access to Reproductive Health by 2015.'
Source: SciDev Net
A vaginal ring containing an antiviral drug is being tested in Africa and, if successful, could provide women with an easy-to-use alternative to vaginal microbicides to help reduce their risk of HIV infection.
Source: The Herald
A lot has been written about the causes of maternal deaths with the main cause attributed to the high costs of maternity fees. What is being overlooked are the reasons women want to get pregnant in the first place. Do they want to get pregnant out of choice or are they forced to get pregnant due to other pressing forces which are beyond their control?