MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH

WHY MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH?

High quality and accessible maternal healthcare leads to positive health outcomes and improved economic well being. However, in low-income and post-conflict countries maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high (430 deaths per 100,000 live births) compared with those of high income countries (13 deaths per 100,000 live births). Poor health perpetuates poverty: in fact, there is a direct correlation between higher infant mortality rates and lower GDP. Conversely, poverty is a driver of poor health. Factors that contribute to vulnerability in low-income households include malnutrition, lack of adequate health facilities, inability to afford antenatal care, substandard housing and sanitation, and the psychological stress of poverty. Fortunately, most maternal and newborn deaths are preventable when women and children gain access to quality care and medications.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Every 2 minutes a woman dies from pregnancy related causes
• Between 95 and 99% of maternal deaths occurred in low and middle income countries
• In low income countries, the maternal mortality rate averages at 430 deaths per 100,000 live births compared with 13 deaths per 100,000 live births in high income countries
• 4.9 million children under the age of 5 died in 2022; nearly 47% of these deaths were in newborns

OUR RESPONSE

One Day’s Wages comes alongside grassroots partners to provide health education, capacity support for health workers, and quality healthcare services that prioritize the needs of vulnerable mothers, newborns, and children. Since 2009, we have supported 61 health projects in under-resourced communities, impacting over 166,000 people. Through our partnerships, Mandera was able to access chlorhexidine gel in South Sudan to prevent infection of her newborn baby, and Roshina further developed her midwifery skills to better handle complicated births in Afghanistan.