Every minute somewhere in the world a woman dies due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. 99% of these maternal deaths occur in developing countries. Addressing this starts with providing better access to health care and improving the quality of the care. This is why we are proud to partner with organizations like, Mali Health and The John Dau Foundation, who have been making progress toward better healthcare by building and improving health facilities in Mali and South Sudan.
ODW + Mali Health's Maternity Ward
Our partnership with Mali Health funded a maternity ward and basic laboratory for one of the poorest areas of Sikoro. Mali Health's new maternity ward was finished and inaugurated this past month, and they were able to welcome baby Diakité who was the first baby to be born in the new maternity ward.
In the past, newborns spent their first vulnerable hours on beds next to the sick, but now they lie safely in their own space. Since clinic births have increased nearly 300% since 2010 in Sikoro, Mali Health has high hopes for the immediate and longterm impact of the maternity ward.
The new maternity ward contains birthing space, a semi-private recovery room, prenatal and family planning services, and a basic lab to support clinic activities. The access these families now have to these services results in reduced maternal and child mortality and healthier child development in the crucial early stages.
ODW + John Dau Foundation's Maternity Ward
The John Dau Foundation has recently built a new maternity ward in South Sudan, and our partnership funded the installation of solar powered electrical units for this building. The electricity helps run their new ultrasound machine so it can be consistently operational. Reliable electricity helps to provide better health care and also assists in empowering women by providing them with a space to receive information on health choices and concerns.
According to the World Health Organization, South Sudan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, meaning every woman has a 1 in 7 chance of dying in childbirth in her lifetime from pregnancy related causes. South Sudan's infant mortality rate is also one of the worst in the world. Further exacerbating this problem is the fact that there is only one qualified midwife per 30,000 people in South Sudan.
The John Dau Foundation is striving for quality health care to be available for everyone because health care is a basic human right. JDF focuses on providing quality health care to the people of South Sudan; a region which has been ravaged by civil war and tribal conflicts. In the aftermath of war, health needs have largely gone unmet, so this project is a great step toward addressing this issue.
Thank you for making this possible!
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Mali Health's Maternity Ward Photos:
John Dau Foundation's Maternity Ward Photos:
