Pregnancy and birth should be happy times for women and their families, however in many countries they are cause for grave concern as high levels of mortality follow both. While both maternal and infant mortality are easily preventable, there numbers remain at shocking highs in many countries around the world.
In recent news some countries have begun to see the thinning balance between life and death, and are now working to quickly increase prevention programs. Countries such as Ghana, who are now facing a race against time to cut maternal mortality, as it has now been declared a national emergency by Health Minister, Courage Kwashigah. While in the Congo the government sets its sights on infant mortality, as a nationwide campaign has begun to fight the country's increasingly high rates of infant mortality, as well as juvenile and maternal mortality.
According to the CIA Factbook the Congo ranks 24 on the list, while Ghana ranks number 52 on the list, only serving to further illustrate the extremity for which infant mortality rates needlessly plague the developing world. The top ten country rankings for infant mortality rates (deaths/1,000 live births) are;
In sub-Saharan Africa one can also find the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, as according to the World Health Organization some 900 deaths per 100,000 live births occur each year.
Why are so many countries struggling with such high mortality rates, when the majority of the deaths are preventable?
The main causes of infant mortality were once due mainly due to dehydration and diarrhea, however successful awareness programs about oral rehydration solutions over the last two decades have helped to substantially lower this cause of death. The leading cause of infant mortality is now largely related to pneumonia, however other infections and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) also play a large role. Maternal mortality's leading causes include; bacterial infections, gestational hypertension, hemorrhaging, ectopic pregnancies, amniotic fluid embolism.
In all cases of maternal mortality the shortages of both doctors and midwives is only serving to severely compound the problem. The increasing of free and accessible access to healthcare would significantly decrease the number of deaths, as many women are forced to give birth at home unaided or with unqualified medical assistance, due to the high cost of delivery. An additional and often overlooked cause of high maternal mortality rates is child marriages and child pregnancies, as well as rape and abuse often leading to conditions such as fistula. The cost and lack of access to healthcare also significantly compounds the rate of infant mortality, as mothers do on seek appropriate prenatal care and advice, including advice on the benefits of breastfeeding.
