Maternal mortality!! why?

[IsseGole]

Maternal Health

Maternal Mortality (MMR) is estimated at 1600 per 100,000, placing Somali women among the most high-risk groups in the world. Haemorrhage, prolonged and obstructed labour, infections and eclampsia are the major causes of death at childbirth. Anaemia and female genital mutilation (infibulation) have a direct impact on, and aggravate these conditions. Poor antenatal and postnatal care, with the almost complete lack of emergency obstetric referral care for birth complications, further contribute to these high rates of mortality and disability.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

FGM is performed throughout Somalia on girls between the ages of four and ten, and has a prevalence of over 95 per cent. Infibulation, the extreme form of FGM, is the most common cause of difficult or prolonged delivery, and is one of the main causes of maternal mortality. It affects the physical, mental and psychosocial wellbeing of girls and women.

I attended the Bosaso Hospital in the vacation, and as the previous paragraphs indicate the women's health care was very low and the labor room was not at all the perfect place you want to be born at. The medical equipments were undiscussable, the care from the nurses and doctors was unmentionable, the FGM was strangulating the neonates during passage thru birth canal, the surgical operations like Caeserian section were like the rest, every thing was falling apart or alreadly fallen apart.
We hope that our generation of young doctors and nurses will change the situation to the best. All we can do now is wait and see - for those who live abroad - , and for those practicing in somalia to change these things slowly and effectively by being a good example first and then telling and taking actions and so on, till that day comes when we keep up with the world in the health care systems. But, since the political and social situations affect health system, we can't do any thing till these sides come into peace and stability.
Ciise Dheere.

[Dr. Acromion]

Yes , everything has already fallen apart, no doubt. Something has to be done, i vehemently disagree with you when it comes to the nation of wait and see until things cool down on it's own, that 's a cowadice approach the educated somalians keep doing, how do you expect things to sort out by themselves while you watch from say Nairobi. My aragument is , we should all try to master the courage and face the problem , burrying our heads in the sun is not the way , it has done us nothing but kept us from reaching our goals already pas 20 years, we have to go down there , no matter your status, profression etc and compete with the idiots at home and take over the whole country, instead of talking, inshort , all those who care about the country should indevour to come home and make changes....................Not to wait an ignorant elderly somali or the so called international Community that's already overburdened with more 'important' tasks.
I don't intend to sound rude though.

[Ikram]

Waaw you have just touch a topic which I am very passionate about !

 I first became aware of  poor maternal care in somalia by my univerisity lecturer who was giving a lesson on antenatal care in somalia and what really shocked me was that she mention somalia as having the highest mortality in child birth. One in 25 women die in child birth. That really got to me ..

 Hence I am now a neonatal nurse...Insha'Allah My skills and knowledge will one day help the somali women in somalia. But I disagree with you as well Dr. Ciise ....there are always things we can do ...we can campaign for best care... maternal care ....we can fundraise ..we can educate ...we deliever the medical equipment needed to support current Staff ....we can do alot ...we just need to have a firm leadership ...and ideals and passion...determination

I am really happy you have raised this topic tho ....because its a topic that need to be address ....more and more children are growing up without their mother just for something that can be detected by a Blood pressure monitor...subhan'Allah

Ikram