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.
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Source: Rwanda Focus
Having many children was previously considered a blessing in many African cultures, but with the rising cost of food, education and health; most parents and policymakers today think otherwise.
Source: New Times
Over 2,000 women have benefited from the ongoing mass cervical cancer screening campaign organised by Partners in Health (PIH), a US-based organisation.
More than seven months overdue, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grant will finally be released to key South African AIDS organizations that have been struggling to survive. Some were on the verge of shutting down.
Source: Tunisia Live
Dr. Elyess Mkaddem, a Tunisian specialist in reproductive biology, has announced the birth of the first baby in Tunisia to be conceived through a revolutionary new procedure know as embryo vitrification.
Source: The Herald
THE World Health Organisation has recommended that women continue using hormonal contraceptives in spite of revelations that their use doubles chances of uninfected women acquiring HIV.
UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet has joined a prestigious reference group for a new research project on the economic benefits of investing in women’s health.
Source: PlusNews
Four months after a study suggested women on hormonal contraception may be at an increased HIV risk, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reaffirmed the birth control method's safety, but strongly recommends that women on progesterone-only injections, like Depo-Provera, also use condoms to prevent HIV infection.
Nkoranza South District Directorate of Education in collaboration with Ghana Health Service, has organised a forum to educate students and staff of Nkoranza Technical Institute on adolescent reproductive issues.
The United Nations reiterated today the need to provide women with access to both hormonal contraceptives and condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancies and HIV infection, after a renewed consultation with health experts on the issue.
Source: Daily News
The role of a mother should never be underestimated and when a mother's mental health is strong, society benefits, says counselling psychologist Alison Rielly, a specialist in women's mental health and member of the Post-Natal Depression Support Association.
Health officials and women in Liberia say family planning options can empower girls and women to stay in school and concentrate on their businesses. But many fathers and husbands here don’t approve of the introduction of family planning. As a result, many young women are keeping their contraceptive choices secret.