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: The New Vision
In the late 1980s, the HIV prevalence rate was 18%. It reduced to 6.2%, but has risen again to 7.3%, which is worrying policy makers and healthcare givers.
Lutaaya has AIDS", read New Vision front page headline a day after musician Philly Bongole Lutaaya publicly announced that he had "slim."
Victoria J. married in 2009 at age 14, and became pregnant shortly after. "I started labour in the morning on a Friday .... The nurse kept checking and saying I would deliver safely. On Monday she said I was weak.
Source: The New Vision
As Uganda counts a 40% reduction in AIDS-related deaths in the past decade, the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) wants Government to levy a special tax on alcohol and cigarette to fund HIV programmes.
Our failure to give women in certain parts of the world the ability to decide the timing and number of their children is deeply damaging — not just for the women themselves but for societies, too. Lifting the obstacles is not something that can be tackled half-heartedly.
AFRICA: New Study Finds Little Progress in Meeting Demand for Contraception in the Poorest Countries
Source: Guttmacher Institute
A new study by the Guttmacher Institute finds that within the developing world, the poorest countries are lagging far behind higher-income developing countries in meeting the demand for modern contraception. Between 2003 and 2012, the total number of women wanting to avoid pregnancy and in need of contraception increased from 716 million to 867 million, with growth concentrated among women in the 69 poorest countries where modern method use was already very low.
Source: Daily Trust
The report, 'Surviving the 1st day; State of the World's Mothers 2013 was just released few days ago by Save the Children. The Report's forward which was written by the Melinda Gates Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation succinctly captured why we must invest in programmes that will enhance the survival of women and children especially the newborn.
Source: allAfrica
In disclosing in the New York Times on Tuesday that she underwent a double mastectomy, actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie also called attention to the many women in Africa and other developing regions who die from breast cancer each year. Jolie underwent the double mastectomy, and subsequent breast reconstruction, earlier this year after discovering that she carried a "faulty" gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases her risk of developing certain kinds of cancer.
Source: Daily Trust
The federal government yesterday officially began paying women to attend antenatal clinic in hope of increasing demand for a growing range of maternal and child health services and cutting down the number of women dying from childbirth complications.
The Nigerian government has officially begun paying women to attend antenatal clinic hoping that it will increase the demand for a growing range of maternal and child health services, whilst cutting down the number of women dying from childbirth complications.
Source: The Chronicle
With less than three years to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target for improved maternal health, the maternal death ratio in the Ashanti Region currently stands at 315 per 100,000 live births, against the 185 per 100,000 live births target set for achievement under MDG-5 by 2015. Teenage pregnancy is said to be on the increase, from 9.8% in 2011, to 12.4% in 2012 in the region, while the maternal mortality ratio increased from 190 in 2010 to 211 in 2011 per 100,000 live births, including maternal deaths recorded by the Ghana Health Service at the teaching hospitals, according to reports on a joint monitoring and health sector survey in national institutions.
Source: New Vision
Salim Asha's breasts developed at the age of eight. By the time she was 16 years old, her breasts were so big for a girl of her age.
Today, the 19-year-old's breasts are uneven - the one on the right-hand side is much bigger than the left - with dark inflammations around the nipples.
"Lumps have developed in my breasts," Asha laments.