Motherkind is one of our dearest initiatives at Mother Helpage. Our enterprise aims to protect the lives of women and girls in the poorest countries and conflict zones by addressing healthcare system and societal challenges to embed long-lasting change.
WHO estimates that every day, around 810 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth (295,000 in 2017 alone). 94% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries due to the lack of skilled care, equipment and facilities before, during and after childbirth – provisions which not only safeguard the lives of women but too that of their newborns.
The high number of maternal deaths in some areas of the world reflects global inequalities (Global North versus Global South) and the gap between rich and poor. Essentially, women die as a result of poverty and their geographic predicament which also includes rural remoteness and this is especially true of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Lack of adequate healthcare provision, remoteness, poverty in these areas are compounded by a lack of information and sometimes cultural beliefs that disadvantage women. It is estimated that 600 million mothers across the globe give birth without access to skilled care every year (as low as 34% in some African countries).
As a result, the risk of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth increases disproportionally. Most of these complications develop during pregnancy and most are largely preventable or treatable at little or no extra cost, even in resource poor settings. Complications in pregnancy and childbirth also put women at risk of developing disabling life-long conditions, both psychological and physical. Currently this is the reality of over 300 million women and it is suggested that 20 million new cases arise every year.
Women need access to good quality care in pregnancy, and during and after childbirth. Maternal health and newborn health are also closely linked. It is particularly important that all births are managed by skilled health professionals and include follow-up appointments and treatments, good hygiene practices and safe settings. Around 98% of the nearly six million stillbirths or deaths of babies in the first week of life occur in developing countries. Overall, the risk of death for children under five is doubled if their mother dies in childbirth.
Each mother’s death or long-term complication is not just an individual tragedy for the woman, her partner and her surviving children, but also an economic loss to her family, community and society. With your generous donations, we can set up infrastructures and services: clinics, ambulances, equipments and professionals in the most deprived areas of the globe and save the lives of women and their unborn or newborn babies.
