 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Most African cultures value children highly. But few people - including women themselves - understand the risks involved in bearing children. Women in Africa die much more frequently from the complications of pregnancy and childbirth than women in Europe and North America. In sub-Saharan Africa, these complications are sometimes the most common cause of death for women of childbearing age. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that one out of every 22 women in Africa dies from pregnancy-related complications (see Table 1.1). For every woman who dies, between 50 and 100 other women suffer from an illness or disability caused by childbearing. This means that every year, more than 150,000 African women die, and millions of women suffer a serious illness, because of pregnancy and childbirth.
Most of these deaths and illnesses could be prevented if three basic goals could be met:
1. If women were in good health before their pregnancies began;
2. If they had good medical care during and after pregnancy; and
3. If they sought help promptly when the problem started.
In addition, family planning can help save thousands of lives by preventing unsafe or unwanted pregnancies. Many women who die during childbirth may not have wanted to be pregnant in the first place because their health was poor, or they had many children already, or they did not have the income to support another child.
While complications of childbirth are perhaps the most common health problems women face, they are not the only ones. Other health problems can also cause pain, discomfort, or even death. For example, sexually transmitted diseases are becoming more and more common in Africa today; they affect thousands of women, and if they are not treated they can lead to infertility or even death. AIDS is also spreading quickly throughout Africa. In some countries this disease, which cannot be cured, is killing more adult women than any other illness.
Table 1.1: Lifetime Risk of Maternal Death
|
REGION/SUB-REGION |
LIFETIME RISK OF MATERNAL DEATH | |
|
World |
1 in 67 | |
|
Industrial countries |
1 in 1,687 | |
|
Developing countries |
1 in 51 | |
|
Africa: |
1 in 22 | |
| |
North |
1 in 47 |
| |
East |
1 in 18 |
| |
Middle |
1 in 20 |
| |
West |
1 in 18 |
| |
South |
1 in 68 |
|
Asia |
1 in 57 | |
|
South America |
1 in 115 | |
|
North America |
1 in 2,671 | |
|
Europe |
1 in 2,1 32 | |
Many women suffer greatly even while they continue to carry out their day-to-day tasks. Their backs may ache from bending over a hoe or chopping firewood; they may develop a cough from breathing too much smoke from cooking fires; sometimes they are beaten by husbands, fathers, or brothers. Women may also have a pain in their private parts that they do not understand, or are embarrassed to talk about. Older women can develop cancers or other diseases in the womb, but few women know the signs of these diseases or what can be done to prevent or treat them. Most often women do not visit a health facility for their aches and pains, and rarely talk about them even with friends and family. But all these problems affect how women feel, and all of them deserve attention and treatment.
As everyone knows, being sick or suffering from aches and pain affects every aspect of daily life. A woman who is unwell and exhausted finds it difficult, if not impossible, to carry out her everyday responsibilities. It is also hard for her to participate in programmes that could help her and her family, such as literacy or training classes, savings schemes, or community meetings. Being healthy is a requirement for women to have a positive attitude and participate fully in their communities.
The social and economic consequences of women's health problems are serious, although often they are not recognised or talked about. Women do many things for their families; they care for the children and elderly, and do the majority of household tasks. Often they grow most of the food the family eats, and earn the money that pays for essential needs like clothing, medical care, and even school fees. When a woman dies or is unwell, all these tasks are neglected. Often the death of a woman means the break-up of the family. If not, her daughters will probably have to stop school and stay home to take care of the younger children.
Women are tired and ill often, and far too many of them die. This is a problem not only for them, but also for the communities and nations where they live. Much of this illness and suffering could be prevented. In the past, however, women's health needs were often neglected. Since the global Safe Motherhood Initiative was launched in 1987, governments and international agencies around the world have begun focusing more attention on the health of mothers. In particular, more efforts are now being made to train health and family planning workers, provide supplies and equipment, and help women reach medical facilities. Equally important, governments and non-governmental organisations, including women's groups, are working hard to provide women with the information that will enable them to take better care of themselves. These efforts are paying off, but much remains to be done.
This book is one tool in the campaign to improve women's health. The chapters that follow describe the causes of women's health problems, especially those related to pregnancy and childbirth, and explain what can be done to prevent or treat those problems. Maternal and child health workers are often the only source of medical care and information women have. It is therefore critically important that they take responsibility for ensuring that women are educated and informed about the full range of health issues that they face. Governments, women's groups, religious organisations, and local communities can also work together to make sure that the services and information are available to save women's lives. This way, countless tragedies can be prevented, and countless children will be given a better chance in life.
 |
 |
