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: IRIN
The waiting area of a clinic in northern Malawi's Nkhata Bay resembles a kindergarten, with dozens of children running around or tugging on their mothers' skirts. On average, each woman at the clinic has four small children with her.
Source: Daily Trust
I was elated when I read the report of a maternal death review that was conducted for the year 2012 in one of the northern states in a big secondary health center which also serves as a comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn center.
Source: Daily Trust
The House of Representatives yesterday threw out a bill which sought exclusive breast feeding for women working in both public and private sectors compulsory.
Source: Times of Zambia
THE United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) has called for increased personal commitment among African leaders to improve maternal health on the continent.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have been urged to prioritize women reproductive health and children malnutrition in the post 2015 development agenda.
Source: AfriqueJet
UNFPA chief says family planning central to African women's well-being - Ensuring availability of family planning services and their acceptability to every woman, man and to young people, would improve the health of mothers and children in Africa, besides saving health care systems unnecessary expenditure, according to Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
Source:allAfrica
President Jacob Zuma says despite South Africa being the last country to launch the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), the country was set on using every opportunity to achieve the targets set out by the strategy.
Source:allAfrica
WESTERN province is to benefit from a Sh21 billion programme to reduce maternal deaths and increase antenatal care.
The programme, Saving Lives at Birth was launched in Vihiga County seeks to increase the number of poor pregnant mothers who deliver in health facilities.
The programmed is funded by the Saving Lives at Birth Consortium which comprises Grand Challenges of Canada, USAid, World Bank and the Bill & Melinda
Probably no job is harder than a counsellor's, especially when it comes to disclosing a client's HIV status. On the other hand, no amount of counselling can be enough to prepare someone for sad news. But 30-year-old Josephine Nakato defied the odds.
Source: allAfrica
Journalists can play a crucial role in helping to shift traditional attitudes within societies where the cruel practice of female genital mutilation is an everyday reality.
Source: United States Embassy Pretoria
In a response to the high rate of AIDS deaths and pediatric HIV in Southern and Eastern Africa, the United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and mothers2mothers (m2m) launched a five-year regional partnership today at an event in Manzini, Swaziland.