The World Health Organization estimates that almost 300,000 women die from pregnancy-related causes annually, most of which are preventable. That's more than 800 women every day.
The complications that account for nearly 75% of all maternal deaths are: infections and severe bleeding after childbirth, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia during pregnancy, and complications from delivery.
Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounted for roughly two-thirds of maternal deaths in the world where women in remote areas living in poverty are the least likely to receive adequate health care due to low numbers of skilled health workers and the lack of clean water in health facilities.
World Vision is addressing this issue head-on through our comprehensive Mother and Child Health Signature Initiative so that having a baby is a joyful experience, not a death sentence.
World Vision: Celebrating Success and Committing to Do More
On Mother's Day and every day, we believe every woman has a right to healthcare—no matter where she lives. Thanks to our donor partners, World Vision has reached more than 1 million women and children under 5 in the last six years through our Mother and Child Health Signature Initiative which includes, but is not limited to:
training and equipping local community health workers who go house-to-house educating women of child-bearing age and their partners about how to have safe pregnancies and deliveries.
clean water, handwashing stations, toilets, and showers in rural health clinics and delivery rooms so women don't have to carry their own water to give birth or risk infection due to unsanitary conditions.
additional training of existing healthcare facility staff to build capacity.
World Vision is a global leader in equipping rural health care facilities with clean water and other critical support. In 2019, when the World Health Organization and UNICEF issued a global call to action to provide water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities, we responded with a commitment larger than any other NGO. Together with our partners, we will reach 2,000 health care facilities with clean water between 2019 and 2023 serving approximately 18 million people, more than half of them women.
To learn more about World Vision's life-saving Mother and Child Health Signature Initiative, visit worldvisionphilanthropy/health.
Partner Spotlight: Dr. Anne Eiting-Klamar
"Being a physician by training, I am passionate about health and healthcare. I visited Zambia on a World Vision vision trip in 2017 and saw the state of rural healthcare there, both before and after World Vision programming. I returned to Zambia briefly in 2019 and saw that there was still more to do, which motivated me to lean into Mother and Child Health even more.
In Zambia, 40% of health clinics lack basic water, sanitation, and hygiene. It’s hard to imagine practicing medicine without clean water. I watched the practitioners do their work with a sense of both awe and desperation, knowing that they could only treat with what little they had. How do you prevent infection without clean water? We learned that one in 16 children in rural areas of Zambia die before they reach the age of five. This broke my heart.
Women face a significant increased risk of infection when giving birth in unhygienic healthcare facilities and the lives of 400,000 babies each year could be saved if healthcare facilities simply had better hygienic practices. This paints a picture of the magnitude of opportunity for better lives and better outcomes by providing clean water in healthcare facilities.
Impressive improvements have been made in mother and child health in the regions where World Vision programming has brought clean water, equipment, supplies and education to rural clinics. We are already seeing the quality of care increase as a result of these improvements. In Zambia, the percentage of births attended by skilled providers increased from 83% to 96%, and the percentage of women who sought prenatal care during pregnancy increased from 50% to 64%. This impressive return on investment led my husband Rob and I to decide to invest further. The scalability and sustainability of the World Vision model are reasons for us to invest, as are the synergies between sectors and programs.
When the combined efforts of SWSW, the WASH program and the Mother and Child Health sector come together, more meaningful results are produced. World Vision has committed to ensure that EVERYONE, everywhere World Vision works in Zambia, will have access to life-saving healthcare – over 1 million people! This includes bringing WASH and other essential services to 125 health clinics in Zambia to promote better health for all.
We are all here to serve and to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. World Vision makes that possible for all of us. Please join us!"
Anne Klamar (in Zambia with her husband Rob) is a physician, former President and CEO of Midmark Corporation, World Vision partner, Strong World Council Member, and National Leadership Council member.
Above, a woman prepares to give birth on a rusty table. Below, a clinic receives a new table from Midmark, Anne's 4th generation family company that has been donating to World Vision's gift-in-kind program for 20 years.
Ways to get involved: Awareness, Influence, Resources
RAISE AWARENESS | Follow, like, comment, and share our posts Facebook and Instagram. Forward this newsletter to someone you think would appreciate it.
USE YOUR INFLUENCE | In less than 5 minutes, you can advocate by calling on U.S. Congress to protect funding for vital maternal and child health programs. Use our simple, pre-filled formto contact your legislators and ask them to sign this compassionate letter as soon as possible! Together, we can pave the way for moms and babies to not just survive, but thrive.
INVEST YOUR RESOURCES | Now you can DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT.Every $1 given to the Strong Women Strong World™ Fundwill be matched* with a $1 donation to programs that empower women and girls, thanks to our generous SWSW partner, Clean Water Here.
*up to $12 million
World Vision's Strong Women Strong World™
helps keep girls and women at the center of global community development, advocacy,
and emergency response work. Together, we can continue making a difference
in the lives of women and girls and accelerate communities’ progress out of poverty.
In 2021, 90 percent of World Vision's total operating expenses were used for programs that benefit children, families, and communities in need. Learn More.
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