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.
For more information on HIV/AIDS and Reproductive health, please visit the following websites:
Source: CNN
Baby showers herald the transition to motherhood. Roses, greeting cards and invitations to lunch, celebrate mothers every May -- well at least in most parts of the world. In Africa by and large the story isn't so rosy.
Source: The Standard
"Getting to Zero” stands for the hope that we have for eliminating HIV. We can get to zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero Aids-related deaths, but the challenge is how to get there and how to hold on to the gains made so as not to roll backwards.
Source: AllAfrica
Ghana has taken a major step towards reducing its under-five mortality rate by becoming the first African country to introduce two new vaccines for rotavirus and pneumococcal disease.
Source: AllAfrica
In a move designed to promote safe motherhood and reduce infant mortality, Zanzibar has abolished child delivery charges in public hospitals.
Source: AllAfrica
"Today you're going to cry." The doctor, prodding Grace roughly with his nicotine-stained fingers, is matter-of-fact, there's no malice in his voice. And, afterwards, when she begs him not to let her see the fetus, he's considerate enough to cover it with a paper towel as it lies in a bloody puddle at the end of the examination table, before helping her to her feet. When he returns to the leather armchair in his consulting room, she notices that he doesn't bother to wash his hands before lighting a cigarette, blowing smoke in her direction as she leans over the desk to hand him his money.
Source: AllAfrica
Ghana has made significant progress in increasing access and utilisation of maternal health services. And although statistics from the Ghana Health Services (GHS) show some reduction in Maternal Mortality ratio of 740 per 100000 lives birth in 1990, to 590 in 1996 with a further reduction of 540 in 200, to 541 in 2005 and finally to 350 in 2010, the reducing trend falls short of the 5.5 percent annual decline required to achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of 185 per 100,000 by 2015.
Source: IRIN
Daughters as young as 12 in the villages surrounding Antsohihy, the capital of Sofia Region, in Madagascar's remote, traditional north, often suffer the harmful consequences of falling pregnant and giving birth too young when parents accept zebus (cattle) or cash as a dowry.
Source: Allafrica
Her limbs flaccid, her eyes wide with fear and pain, Théthé's cries seem oddly detached from her body, as if part of her isn't lying on a brown vinyl mattress, slick with blood and amniotic fluid, in one of the worst places in the world to be a mother.The final hours of Théthé's pregnancy have been difficult. Her placenta has torn away from her uterus and her child is being starved of oxygen. In the meantime, Théthé has developed a fever.
Source: AllAfrica
Saratu Dauda Aliyu, a 26 year old native of Nasarawo quarters in Gombe metropolis was until recently unaware about the scourge of HIV and AIDS other than a radio jingle being aired intermittently on the local radio and television. She's neither aware about ways of contracting the disease nor means of protecting herself against it.
Source: The Independent
Debate between traditional norms and progressive practices intensifies after first national abortion study
Source: The Independent Debate between traditional norms and progressive practices intensifies after first national abortion study