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:Tanzania Daily News
Women in Mwanza have hailed the Population Services International (PSI) for its initiatives to introduce cervical cancer and cryotherapy screening services in order to reduce maternal mortality in the region.
Source:Daily Trust
As part of activities to mark this year's International Women's Day, a women rights group, Women Deliver, has awarded seed grants of $50,000 each to 10 young people to support projects aimed at advancing girls' and women's health and rights in their communities.
Source: Tanzania Daily News
MATERNAL mortality in the country remains a threat with majority of women dying of haemorrhage after failing to access blood which is being sold contrary to policy that requires it to be offered for free.
Source: Tanzania Daily News
KiIimanjaro Region has been chosen by the government as a trial field for vaccination against cervical cancer. The exercise will be conducted on girls aged between nine and 13 years.
Source: The Herald
As one of the major stakeholders in the provision of quality family planning/reproductive health care services in the country, Population Service Zimbabwe (PSZ) stand with the women of Zimbabwe and the nation at large in commemorating the International Women's Day. We join the global community in empowering women by asserting their
Source: Voice Of America
Most people think of malaria, AIDS and childbirth as leading causes of death for women in sub-Saharan Africa. But there's another killer: Cervical cancer.
Source: AlertNet
At the age of 10, Chimwemwe started having sex with a 15-year-old boy because he gave her money to buy the food and clothes that her parents could not afford.
Source: Deutsch Well
In an unusual move, the World Bank postponed a $90 million loan to Uganda over its anti-gay law. But the maternal health project for which the funding was intended is not at risk.
Source: The Economist
Our budgeting process follows a very regular and easily detectable IMF benchmark pattern if one knows what one is looking for. This typically leads to a rather conservative budget approach requiring all sorts of semantics to define and defend anything that deviates from this pattern.It also displays a regularity which, I assume is part of the bigger picture
Source: The Star
It has been 30 years since the first case of HIV was reported in Kenya. Although a lot has improved since then, including access to free anti-retroviral drugs, stigma is still rife.
Source: SA News
Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has launched a new contraceptive device, which will from June, be available to women, free at all state clinics.