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: The New Dawn (Monrovia)
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will on Monday, 25 March launch two Flag Ship Reports and validate the national consultations held on the Global Development Agenda Post 2015, dubbed "Our voices and aspirations for the world we want after 2015."
Source: Vanguard
In the twelve years, since the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, the world has seen an unprecedented mobilization of resources for HIV. Innovative partnerships have been created to support an elevated response to the epidemic.
Source: Daily Trust
Political will is crucial to Nigeria's plans to ensure that 13 life-saving commodities recommended by the United Nations to save one million lives in Nigeria by 2015 are available in health facilities, says the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
Source: Health-e (Cape Town)
"Shame about her cancer stopped my sister from asking for help sooner," a Khayalitsha woman, Monica, told the audience at a talk at the 17th Reach to Recovery International Breast Cancer Support Conference currently underway in Cape Town.
Source: Health-e (Cape Town)
Recent news reports across the world included the incredible information that a baby had been cured of HIV. Is this really true?
This news was presented at an HIV medical conference (Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections) in Atlanta on March 4th.
President Jakaya Kikwete has instructed Dar es Salaam regional authorities to build a modern hospital that would exclusively offer maternal and child health services.
Source: South African Government (Pretoria)
The Gauteng Department of Education has noted some incorrect media reports regarding the Colloquium on Teenage Pregnancy that took place on Tuesday. The researchers indicated that on average 45 000 girl learners fall pregnant a year. In Gauteng in 2008, we had 4874 pregnant girl learners compared with 4217 in 2011.
Source: The Star
Public health officials in Taita Taveta have warned of a rise in HIV/Aids. The Taita National Aids Control Council coordinator, Dominick Kitandu, said people aged between 15 and 45 are the most affected.
Source: The Daily Observer (Banjul)
A total number of 267 women that make up the 11th batch of the President's infertility treatment programme were Friday discharged by the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, after a weeklong treatment in Kanilai. The discharge ceremony was held at State House in Banjul.
Source: Abt Associates (Cambridge, MA)
BETHESDA, MD — Providing life-long antiretroviral treatment to HIV-infected pregnant women not only prevents HIV infections in infants, but also improves the 10-year survival rate in mothers, saving more than 250,000 maternal life years and reducing the likelihood that children born to these mothers will become orphans, a study published today in the journal PLOS ONE found.
Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, DC)
"In Zambia, when women have delivered, we say 'Oh, you have survived.'" This chilling reminder of the impact of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa came from Professor Elwyn Chomba, a Zambian government public health official interviewed by CSIS for a new video about the challenges of maternal mortality and a new initiative to address it.