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: allAfrica
Despite various family planning programming efforts in Nigeria, its contraceptive prevalence rate has been static since 2008 and hovers around 10 per cent, alarming partners, donors and the Government.
Source: The Citizen
When Glory Adrian Nyengella and Fredy Andrew Mbilinyi decided to participate at DARE to Change Dar es salaam this year, they only had one thing in their minds and that was to fulfill their long term passion of becoming entrepreneurs. But little did they know that their idea would stand out to be the best.
Source: Daily Nation
Nearly four million unintended pregnancies can be prevented in the country if women who need family planning get access to contraceptives such as condoms, oral contraceptives, implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs), among others.
Progress has been patchy and authors warn against poor quality care with rising rates of over-medicalisation, too few trained staff or basic resources in many regions.
Source: The Guardian
Study in Lancet shows a woman’s lifetime chance of dying from childbirth is one in 36 in sub-Saharan Africa, compared to one in 4,900 in richer countries
Source: New Zimbabwe
More than 770 pregnant women tested positive for syphilis between January and June this year in the Midlands province, an official in the ministry of health has revealed.
Source: Thompson Reuters Foundation
Rushing from one pregnant woman to another in the antenatal ward of Sierra Leone's main maternity hospital, Josephine Powells, a midwifery student, is all too aware of the danger facing the dozens of expecting mothers under her care.
Source: Inter Press Service
Mambera Hellem tells her friends and neighbours about all forms of contraception, yet despite their high HIV risk she knows many of the women she speaks to will not use condoms.
Source: Thomson Reuters News
More than 200 million girls and women globally have suffered genital mutilation, far higher than previously estimated, which highlighted the need to accelerate efforts to eradicate the practice, the United Nations said on Friday.
Source: News Deeply
In sub-Saharan Africa, girls and young women account for 71 percent of new HIV infections among adolescents. South African officials hope more access to pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, will help, but experts say stigma and lack of education could doom those efforts.
Source: News Deeply
Putting more money into family planning programs in the developing world makes populations healthier and boosts national stability, writes John Bongaarts, vice president of the Population Council.