The need for care during a pregnancy and the delivery is something I have experienced myself. Good medical care in the Netherlands is a right, but a luxury in big parts of the world. Without this care I would have most likely not survived my first delivery. And without proper medication to stop contractions we might have had two premature children with a low life-expectancy. Possibly this is the reason that my heart is so focused on these specific health problems. In Senegal 1 out of 29 women die during a pregnancy or deliverance. In rural areas this can be as high as 1 out of 17. 1 out of 32 babies die in childbirth. Watch a movie on safe motherhood.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8LBs3OGb14&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
The main cause why so many women die is actually quite simple: two out of three women in Senegal give birth without the assistance of a properly trained health care worker, who can intervene or refer to a doctor when something goes wrong. However, the reasons for this are far more complex. Not only are there far too few midwives and doctors; sometimes a clinic is too far off or there is no transport or money. Also the quality of clinics can be so degrading that women prefer to stay at home. Moreover there are many teenage pregnancies and women who are at a higher risk of complications due to underlying health problems such as anemia. For sure pregnant women and newborns are a very vulnerable group and cannot always fight for themselves. It will take me time, as a foreign doctor, to get insight into the problems of this specific group. But when I have managed that, I hope to be of help for many people.
