What is the situation around the world regarding safer births?

The arrival of a new born baby is a momentous occasion in any parents’ lives. It is a moment filled with joy and happiness. However, around the world there are many new born children that are dying and those that are affected the most are from some of the poorest countries around the world such as sub-Saharan Africa. In a report by UNICEF entitled Every Child Alive, eight out of the ten most dangerous places to be born is the sub-Saharan Africa.

• a pregnant woman or new-borns dies somewhere in the world every 11 seconds (according to the UN 2019)
• estimated 2.8 million pregnant women and new-born's die every year 45% of deaths among children under five occur during first four weeks of life (World Health Organisation)
• Prematurity, birth-related complications, and neonatal sepsis were the leading causes of deaths among new-borns babies in 2015 (World Health Organisation)

How does Physicians Across Continents help?

Physicians Across Continents has a holistic approach which includes a 12-month programme from pre-natal care, a safer birth to the first-year of life (postnatal care) of a child their moth. The moment a mother visits one of our partner centres to inform of her pregnancy, she is given a birthing book, a number of pre-natal clinic appointments, scans, vitamin/nutritional supplements, birthing of the child, birthing gift, vaccination for the baby, post-natal care and psychological support (wellbeing of mother and child). The safer births programme helps a mother deliver her baby in a maternity hospital, under the support of a medical staff.