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: Vanguard
Approximately 287,000 women and girls die each year of pregnancy and delivery-related complications, the Executive Director of UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, has said.
Source: The New Vision
Uganda has one of the highest deaths of newborns in the world with almost 40,000 newborns dying every year. While the specific deaths due to delayed breastfeeding and use of alternative feeds for newborns is not known evidence shows this to be a major contributor to new born deaths.
Source: Daily Trust
A Lagos-based health centre, Nordica Fertility Centre on Tuesday enlightened Abuja residents on the causes and cure of lower abdominal pains in women.
Source: The New Vision
Cervical cancer is now one of the most common cancers in women. Cancer is a disease in which the cells in the body develop out of control.
Source: This Day
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Monday charged Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Nigeria, (SOGON) Nigeria Fertility Society (NFS) and other associated professional bodies to embark on cutting edge research to unravel the mystery surrounding endometriosis, a disease that is frequently misdiagnosed and consequently takes up
Source: Vanguard
Scientists have discovered that apart from pollinating crops, producing honey, beeswax , propolis, pollen and royal jelly, bees could also be the solution to the deadly Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and cancer.
Source: Vanguard
In recent times there have been questions, and different debates whether a woman should drink alcohol during pregnancy or not.
Several studies have pointed to one direction that alcohol no matter how little is not acceptable or safe during pregnancy.
In fact, scientists in most of the studies revealed that alcohol and pregnancy don't mix. The studies stated that when you drink,
Source: The Star
THE Kenya National Union of Teachers has asked the education ministry to create a department to help fight HIV/Aids in the teaching fraternity. Bomet branch acting executive secretary Malel Langat said the department will give teachers proper skills to use when talking to their students about HIV/Aids.
Source: The New Times
A two-day national forum on disability and HIV⁄Aids ended yesterday with a call to achieve zero new infection, zero death and zero stigma by 2015.
Source: The Star
A number of doctors have raised the alarm about what they see a dangerous move by their bosses at the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation headquarters in Afya House. They are concerned that a decision to replace tried and tested HIV testing kits with new ones that have not yet met the approval of the World Health Organization may be motivated by financial considerations, rather than the health and well-being of Kenyans.
Source: The Star
THE Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation has announced the adoption of new HIV testing test kits that have not been approved by the World Health Organisation.
The Director of Public Health and Sanitation Dr SK Sharif has notified health officers that the new kits already being supplied will replace the old ones.