Sierra Leone finally reopened classroom doors after a nine-month school closure during the Ebola outbreak. Unfortunately, the government also announced a ban on all visibly pregnant girls in the classroom. An initiative has since been launched in collaboration with the government to encourage new and expecting teenage mothers to return to school, in response to the spike in pregnancies observed during the Ebola crisis.
Every year, 20 million babies are born prematurely, and each hour 450 die from mostly avoidable causes. Most pre-term babies are born with low-birth weights that are unsuited to regulating body temperature and thus their ability to survive depends on medical intervention. India has the highest infant mortality rate for pre-term babies in the world. Many births occur at home, or in rural health centers that don’t have facilities to care for premature infants. Even state-run hospitals might not be able to afford the life-saving equipment, which can cost up to $20,000.
When families find out that they are pregnant, they usually do whatever they can to understand how to provide the ensure the best antenatal development. Some resort to books offering a multitude of advice and regulations, others seek the advice of medical practitioners. Where neither of these resources are readily available people sometimes resort to advice from people in …
Social enterprise ‘ayzh’ is helping prevent life-threatening infections to moms and babies during childbirth by offering birth kit essentials in a biodegradable bag.
One of the most pressing needs that many communities in the developing world have is maternal care. If children born in these communities face challenges while still in the womb, their capacities to go forth and be a force for change is made all the more difficult. Adding to that, expectant mothers should be worrying about making things …
