© action medeor Info © action medeor Improving mother-child health Prevent diseases Every day, 800 women worldwide die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth. 70% of these cases occur in sub-Saharan African countries and most of them could have been prevented. Pregnancy and childbirth: fatal risks for mother and child Especially in regions with weak medical infrastructure, mothers and children are often the ones who are hit hardest by inadequate care. One of the consequences of this is that mothers and children repeatedly die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth - deaths that could have been prevented in most cases. The high mortality rates are often due to insufficiently trained staff, inadequate prenatal care and a lack of treatment options in an emergency. Babies often die due to poor care or hygiene, and young children die from preventable causes such as infections, malnutrition and lack of vaccinations. In figures: mother and child health in poor regions Every year, around 295,000 women worldwide die from complications during pregnancy or childbirth. 94% of these deaths occur in low and middle income countries. In regions with weak health systems, around 5.2 million children under the age of five die every year, often from preventable causes such as infections, malnutrition and lack of vaccinations. Newborns are particularly affected, as they are at highest risk in the first 28 days of life; around 2.4 million newborns die every year, mainly due to a lack of care and hygiene. action medeor is committed to the health of mothers and children Statistics show that improving mother-child health has a direct impact on social and economic development. For example, the risk of child mortality drops significantly when mothers have access to at least four prenatal examinations. action medeor is therefore committed to strengthening health systems and improving the health of mothers and their children worldwide in a variety of ways: Sierra Leone: Education and medical care The health system in Sierra Leone is severely affected by a lack of qualified health personnel. The situation was exacerbated by the Ebola epidemic in 2014-2016, during which many health workers lost their lives. In order to increase the number of midwives in the country, especially in rural areas, action medeor founded a midwifery school in Bo in the south of Sierra Leone in 2017 together with Caritas Bo. 50 midwives are trained here every year. As one of four midwifery schools in the country, action medeor's midwifery school is helping to ensure that the number of midwives in Sierra Leone is steadily increasing. In 2017 there were just under 320, and by 2023 there will be more than 1,400 midwives caring for expectant mothers, especially in remote regions. DR Congo: Malaria and malnutrition The Democratic Republic of Congo has one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates in the world. This is mainly due to malaria, malnutrition, neonatal illnesses and acute respiratory and diarrheal diseases. At the same time, birth complications are the main cause of death for women between the ages of 15 and 29. The joint project of action medeor and the local partner organization AEO/CNA includes various measures to improve mother-child health in the project region in the east of the DR Congo - with a special focus on the prevention and treatment of malnutrition and malaria. For example, health facilities are equipped with medicines and therapeutic food as well as medical equipment for carrying out pregnancy and child examinations. In addition, medical staff are given training on pregnancy support, malaria treatment and malnutrition. Donate health Your donation enables us to provide medical care to people in crisis and disaster regions. Donate now