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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Source: The Star
MORE than 50 per cent of men and women in urban areas have misconceptions about the use of family planning methods.
Source: Allafrica.com
Picture yourself in a room with 30 other women - knowing that one of you will die during pregnancy or childbirth. That's not a concept for a macabre TV show - unless it's reality TV.
South Africa has some of the highest rates of HIV prevalence in the world. Over a decade ago, to prevent the mother-to-child transmission of HIV during breastfeeding, the Government of South Africa rolled out a policy providing free infant formula for all HIV-positive mothers.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has completed the renovation of a midwifery school in Al Fashir, North Darfur, in time for Safe Motherhood Day.
Source: Vanguard
In a bid to check the challenges of infertility among Nigerian couples, TruCare Fertility Centre, held a free interactive forum for couples, in Lagos, to enlighten them on infertility issues in men and women alike.
Source: Allafrica.com
To the casual visitor, the dusty, dimly lit room may not look much like a birthing center. But many women consider their babies lucky to enter the world in this mud-walled space in Kibera, one of Africa's biggest slums, because of Emily Mteeshe.
Source: IRIN News
Twelve HIV-positive women held a fashion show in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on 30 March to highlight the plight of tens of thousands of people with HIV/AIDS, and challenge donors and the authorities to provide adequate treatment.
ANOTHER woman just died in childbirth. Sentenced to death by pregnancy! One dies every 10 minutes. For each maternal death in the world's most populous black nation, there are at least two dozen survivors, but they suffer from short or long-term disabilities including obstetric fistulae, ruptured uterus and paralysis and other physical damage caused by complications of pregnancy or childbirth.
Source: NewVision
The world parliamentarians ' meeting in Kampala will be dominated by maternal health issues, as African women and health experts push for more commitment to reduce the high pregnancy related deaths.The one week Inter-Parliamentary Union meet opens tomorrow, March 31. Several consultations by different lobby groups over different issues, including one on maternal health have been taking place in Kampala prior to the IPU meet. The health experts during the consultation at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo, said that they are concerned at the stubbornly high numbers of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth or as a result. They said that there is need to change strategy to tackle the issue from all fronts including Parliament and at societal level.
Source: The Independent
Policy makers at the Women deliver summit in Munyonyo urged African governments to come up strong laws and policies to ensure that countries meet the millennium development goal 5 (maternal mortality) which is among the 8 MDGS that were arrived at in 2000 in New York.
Nine out of 10 Nigerian women of child-bearing age are not using modern contraceptive methods. This is one of the startling revelations at a stakeholders’ dissemination on the Universal Access to female Condom programme aimed at increasing demand and access to female condoms in Nigeria.