Worldfocus » maternal health http://worldfocus.org International News, Videos and Blogs Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:46:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Expectant mothers in Haiti cope with chaotic conditions http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/08/04/expectant-mothers-in-haiti-cope-with-chaotic-conditions/6631/ http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/08/04/expectant-mothers-in-haiti-cope-with-chaotic-conditions/6631/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:32:05 +0000 Worldfocus http://worldfocus.org/?p=6631 Each year, more than half a million women across the world die while giving birth, most of them from developing countries. In Haiti, the situation is desperate, as violence, political chaos and insufficient international aid have hampered even the most basic health care.

Teresa Bo of Worldfocus partner Al Jazeera English travelled to Port-au-Prince to see how expecting mothers are coping.

For more on humanitarian conditions in Haiti, see our extended coverage page on Haiti’s Poor.

Each year, more than half a million women across the world die while giving birth, most of them from developing countries. In Haiti, the situation is desperate, as violence, political chaos and insufficient international aid have hampered even the most basic health care. http://worldfocus.org/files/2009/08/th_fullshow0804.jpg ]]> http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/08/04/expectant-mothers-in-haiti-cope-with-chaotic-conditions/6631/feed/ Birth is deadly for Guatemalan women http://worldfocus.org/blog/2008/12/02/birth-is-deadly-for-guatemalan-women/3035/ http://worldfocus.org/blog/2008/12/02/birth-is-deadly-for-guatemalan-women/3035/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:12:11 +0000 Worldfocus http://worldfocus.org/?p=3035 Every minute, a woman dies of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Guatemala has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in Latin America, where death during childbirth is 20 times more likely than in the developed world.

The majority of deaths are preventable, with access to sufficient medical care — a challenge for many Guatemalans, particularly those in remote areas.

Worldfocus special correspondent Lynn Sherr reports from the mountain community of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, where the “Casa Materna” center has helped 50,000 women and their children since opening — but tragedy lingers.

For more information on global maternal health, see below.


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One of the United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals — a set of global goals to achieve by 2015 — is to improve maternal health and reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters.

Read about the state of maternal health in Latin American countries.

A chart, courtesy of PBS Wide Angle, details those countries with high and low rates of maternal mortality. Also, listen to public health experts discuss worldwide efforts to improve maternal care.

Every minute, a woman dies of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and Guatemala has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in Latin America. /files/2008/12/th_guat_maternal2.jpg /files/2008/12/th_guat_maternal2.jpg ]]> http://worldfocus.org/blog/2008/12/02/birth-is-deadly-for-guatemalan-women/3035/feed/