Birth & Death in Sierra Leone
The plight of mothers in Sierra Leone graced the cover of yesterday’s Washington Post. Sierra Leone is home to the world’s highest maternal mortality rate: mothers face a 1 in 8 chance of dying in childbirth. This is compared to 1 in 4,800 in the United States and 1 in 20 in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.
The story of Saio Marah highlights some of the factors behind these high mortality rates. Marah arrived at the hospital by motorbike, the predominant mode of transport in the rural Sierra Leone. She is examined by Dr. Konteh (an ophthalmologist by training), who informs that her that she had waited too long to come to the hospital: the baby’s heart rate is too fast and she needs an emergency caesarian section. But all of the surgical nurses had gone home and the operation will have to wait until the team can track its way back to the hospital.
The article continues:
It was a Monday evening, and her husband, Mohamed Barrie, said she had gone into labor on Saturday. Both of them were worried about the expense of going to the hospital, he said, and were sure she could deliver easily enough without assistance from hospital doctors. So they had gone to a neighborhood clinic where a nurse examined her and sent her home. Now she was three centimeters dilated, her water had broken and she had finally come to the only hospital in Koinadugu, a sprawling and rural expanse in the far northeastern corner of this West African nation.
“This is our problem — all the delays,” said Samuel Kargbo, the British-trained director of the hospital and the only other physician in the country’s largest and poorest district.
The region’s largely illiterate population lives in villages scattered over a mountainous area about the size of Connecticut. The few rutted roads are often washed-out and impassable.
Even Kabala, the largest town, has no electricity or running water. Outlying villages are little more than a few thatched-roof huts. Families grow rice and vegetables, but this month, in the height of the rainy season there is less to harvest, less to eat.Kargbo said many women delay seeking medical care for their pregnancies. He said many don’t fully understand the risks, and are daunted by the costs and distances they need to travel for care. So they tend to rely on poorly trained local midwives. When problems develop, they end up walking, or being carried in makeshift hammocks, for hours or even days to reach the hospital.
Saio’s story sheds light on the “three delays” of maternal health that are usually responsible for mothers’ deaths in childbirth: delays in not recognizing that complications are serious enough to require help, delays in getting to an appropriately equipped treatment center, and delays encountered in starting treatment at a facility because of a lack of health care personnel, equipment or drugs.
You can read Saio’s full story here. Also be sure to check out the photo and video galleries. The story is part of a feature series by the Washington Post called “A Woman’s World”, an in-depth look at women’s struggle for equality in countries across the world.
-Nora Coghlan
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October 13, 2008 at 8:22 pm
That’s a total tragedy. How would One.org see this alieviated?
October 14, 2008 at 4:48 am
I really am waiting for an answer here…..
October 14, 2008 at 8:52 am
Hi Steve,
I saw your post late last night and I wanted to make sure I was able to provide you a good answer before responding. I think as soon as folks are able to read the article and your comment you’ll have some feedback. To be honest, I am not that knowledgeable about how women’s health issues are being addressed in other countries and so I want to check and make sure I have the correct information for you. Thanks for posting your question. It is important that we understand how each issue is to be dealt with if we are to become effective advocates.
October 14, 2008 at 4:33 pm
This is such a tragedy. The fact that women all over the world, but particularly in developing countries, die giving life is totally unacceptable. More than 536,000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth every year.
And we know how to reduce maternal mortality rates around the world by offering all women these 4 core strategies: Family planning and other reproductive health services; Skilled care during and immediately after pregnancy and childbirth; Emergency obstetric care when life threatening complications develop; Immediate postnatal care for mothers and newborns.
October 14, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Hi Karen,
Thank you for replying. In case you haven’t caught any of my previous posts on this message board, I would like to take this opportunity to be up front and honest with you. I’m not here to promote advocacy. As far as this message board is concerned, I’m the wolf in your den.
While there is absolutely nothing wrong and almost everything right about charity work, (minus the way that the funding for said charity work is going to be collected and from whom it shall be collected) global poverty cannot be fought by taxation. One.org is socialistic, advocating increasing taxes to generate the capital that it has deemed necessary for the fight against global poverty. Here’s where it gets interesting: People supporting One.org have to back people that [i]must[/i] pass legislation to come up with the funding. They simply can’t take it because that money isn’t theirs. They have to pass something into law so that the taking of money can then [i]be legal[/i] for redistribution to the end user. It’s akin to legalizing the actions that a famous cartoon character has used. Namely ‘Robin Hood’. Robin Hood, while his actions were of the best intent, was a criminal.
I could take this further but it would delve into politics more than this message board was intended to do.
My question still stands. Who will discuss with me how One.org would see tragedies like this dealt with?
October 14, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Is Pres. Bush advocating “socialism” in his actions here ?
http://citizensvoice.com/articles/2008/10/14/news/wb_voice.20081014.t.pg5.cv14cdbailout_s1.2013886_top3.txt
The real “socialism” is NOT given to the world’s poor – it is given to the world’s rich.
October 15, 2008 at 12:02 am
A couple points of interest here Debbie K. :
1)This isn’t about a particular president or particular party in the government, though you seem to have come to the erroneous conclusion that it is and have even gone so far as to assign what you believe is the candidate or president of my choice to me in your previous statement. You’ll notice if you go back and read my first couple of posts that I mentioned Mr. Obama only as a co-sponsor of S.2433. I have not affiliated myself with any political party. I can see how you’ve come to that though….most people make the same mistake when they have nothing of actual substance to add and still have the need to “poke back” as it were. Though amusing, your need to “poke back” in this instance is actually unwarrented and more importantly, unrelated to the question that I’ve posted up…which you failed to acknowledge, let alone answer. At this point, I feel that I should let you know Debbie that I’m going to hold you to the same standards on this message board that you’ve decided to hold me to. I’ll forego the quotes concerning comments on commenting. You are familiar with them. As per one of your previous posts, and your love of equality among mankind/womankind (as well as mine I suppose), any further commenting in an unrelated fashion shall be reported to the administration. I expect that in the interest of fairness, even though they may not like my position(s), they will take the same action on your posts/account that you presumed that they would on my posts earlier written.
2) Please answer my previous question. It’s an honest question which I would like answered concerning “One.org” and how they would like to see this taken care of. They say that the third time is the charm. ^.o
October 15, 2008 at 7:13 am
I am simply stating that the biggest “socialism” in our government favors the rich of our world; not the poor.
Please dispute that fact – if you can.
October 15, 2008 at 10:26 am
Not to speak for ONE, but they have previously endorsed the Global Child Survival Act, which would authorize substantial new funding for maternal and child health programs that could save the lives of young mothers in Sierre Leone.
One of the key interventions is the training of skilled birth attendants who can help manage obstetric complications such as post-partum hemorrhage. Many women in poor countries give birth at home in sterile conditions supported by loving but untrained family members. Risk of infection is high, and even the slightest complication can be a death sentence for both mother and child.
October 15, 2008 at 10:28 am
correction — give birth at home in UNsterile conditions.
October 15, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Thank you John. Your comments are appreciated. When looking at that piece of legislation, it’s main points are to:
1)Authorize ever increasing spending (slight, but increasing none the less);
2)Continue monetary grants for internaltional child and maternal health programs;
3)Develop plans to support improvement of child and maternal health;
4)Create a government agency and appropriate task force to achieve these goals;
5)Create and set guidelines for said programs including also building the infastructure to support self sufficiency
6)Hold the sitting president of the U.S. accountable for it all. (To Congress)
7)Authorize expansion of the Child Survival and Health Grants Program.
I have a couple of points of contention here.
1)Financial subserviance to forgein powers that are not financial institutions.
2)Continued as well as advancing financial burden on the American people.
Why does One.org feel that we as Americans have enough to go around that we can stand for the government to tax us further and simply give and continue to give as deemed appropriate by organizations and forgein powers the money that should be used to better the U.S infastructure? How does One.org justify socializing U.S. tax dollars? It would be nice to have One.org’s official-ness chime in on this, that likely won’t happen, so I’ll take board member opinion instead. I welcome them and the chance to discuss with you One.orgs positions and my points of contention. Heck, I’ll even discuss your points of contention on my points. That will really get the ball rolling. I’m looking forward to it. …you know what? Drag Bono’s butt down here. That would be fun.
Debbie K -
I find you to be very special. I’ll give you a post all of your own. …coming next. Cheers.
October 15, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Debbie K –
When you said “Is Pres. Bush advocating “socialism” in his actions here ?” , you weren’t simply trying to make a statement. You were trying to intentionally change the issue. It’s called a “Red Herring”. Your following post is more of the same, with a little bit of bait on the end of the hook. More logical fallacy. It has no bearing on my issues with One.org’s positions nor my disdain for them. Your failure to discuss previously stated issues and instead inject points of arguement of your choosing makes a simple statement: That you lack the ability to intelligently and/or morally argue the points at hand.
I recommend that you do some study on what the concept of socialism is(lest I call you out on it). When you wrap quotes around the word as you do, you imply that socialism, for what it really is, doesn’t exist, choosing instead to give the word your own definition, thereby letting the word fit situations that in all actuallity, it doesn’t.
Last chance. Would you like to discuss the issues at hand or bow out? Your other option would be for me to start reporting your posts. I don’t like to turn situations around on people unless they ask for it. Please don’t ask for me to start reporting your posts on the basis that you can’t follow the board rules that you quoted me. Given that I don’t care what other people think of me and that you do, you will only serve to make yourself look bad. Then you would feel bad on your own account and that would just be silly. I like you too much to see you do that to yourself.
I wish you the best.
Steve B.
October 15, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Sir, I have too much to do in my life than to debate you or anyone else in this forum.
But I will restate Ginny’s words here:
“Different points of view are always welcome, but comments that attack an individual are subject to moderation and deletion.
Because we need to maintain an atmosphere of respect on the ONE Blog, we may have to block individuals who break the above rules often.”
Best of luck to you too.
October 15, 2008 at 11:51 pm
“…but comments that attack an individual are subject to moderation and deletion.”
Respect shall be mutal on this point.
~Cheers