TOPICS IN FOCUS

Maternal Mortality Remains Unacceptably High in Ethiopia

With a population close to 91, 000,000, Ethiopia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Africa. It is estimated to be almost 700 women dying per 100,000 life births. The causes for these astounding figures are similar to other countries in the region. They include but are not limited to the inability of women to access a health facility due to transportation costs; only 10% of women deliver at a health facility where a skilled birth attendant is present; a lack of male partner involvement, etc.

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Efforts to Eliminate Mother-to-Child-Transmission of HIV Stall in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Unfortunately, pregnant women in the DRC do not have access to maternal health services for myriad reasons. Some of these challenges include lack of human resources, poor infrastructure, inability to get HIV tested and availability of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs. Only 5.6% of HIV-positive pregnant are receiving ARVs to prevent mother-to-child-transmision of HIV (PMTCT) which contributes to a transmission rate of 36.8% from mother to baby.

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Unmet Need for Family Planning Causing Massive Population Growth in Nigeria

In a recently published article in the New York Times, Elizabeth Rosenthal highlighted the rapid increase in population in Nigeria and most of Sub-Saharan Africa. Even though fertility rates have decreased in Latin America and Asia, rates remain stubbornly high in Sub-Saharan Africa. Life for Mothers holistic strategy to decrease maternal/neonatal mortality and strengthen health systems recognizes that family planning is an integeral component to acheive any meaningful impact.

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Tetanus Remains a Leading Cause of Maternal Deaths in Papua New Guinea

Sadly, tetanus remains a leading cause of maternal/neonatal deaths worldwide. Over 100,000 mothers and newborns die each year from tetanus. Papua New Guinea (PNG) has one of highest rates of maternal mortality on the world estimated to be over 250 deaths per 100,000 live births. PNG is now understaking its first campaign to vaccinate almost 2 million women of reproductive age (15-45). Because 90% of the population live in rural areas this will be a protracted and difficult goal to achieve.

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