Skip to main content IFRAME: https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5JWTWV Your gift will help save lives - Donate now Donate now to support our lifesaving work--> Search results ______________________________ Sort by [Sort by Relevance] Go (BUTTON) Click to close search dialog * Contact * Skip to main content * Get updates * Search ____________________________________________________________ Get Updates Click to close sign up dialog Home * Who we are + Principles + How we work + History + Accountability & reporting + US office + Offices around the world + Books about MSF o An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action for the Twenty-First Century o Because Tomorrow Needs Her o Doctors Without Borders: Humanitarian Quests, Impossible Dreams of Médecins Sans Frontières o In the Eyes of Others: How People in Crises Perceive Humanitarian Aid o Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience o The Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law + Films about MSF o Invisibles o Living in Emergency - Stories of Doctors Without Borders o Starved for Attention: A Radical New Vision Of Malnutrition o Triage: Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian Dilemma o Urban Survivors: Humanitarian Challenges of a Rising Slum Population o Access to the Danger Zone * What we do + News & stories + News & stories + Countries + Medical issues + Videos + Press room + Research + Focus issues o Cyclone Idai o Ebola outbreak in DRC o Global refugee and migration crisis o Lake Chad crisis o Humanitarian crisis in Central America o Search and rescue in the Mediterranean o The Rohingya refugee crisis + Press Room + Research + Alert Magazine + FAQ: Our work * Careers + Work in the US office o Current job listings o Office internships + Work in the field o Essential requirements o Find a role o Career Opportunities & Benefits o Find a role o Life in the field o Attend an info session o How to apply o FAQ: Recruitment * Support us + Donate online + Donate by mail + Explore donation options o Give stocks o Workplace giving & matching gifts o Donor-advised funds (DAF) donations o Legacy giving # Leave a gift in your will # Name MSF as a charity beneficiary of IRA # Give charitable gift annuities (charitable gifts) # Charitable lead annuity trusts # Join the Legacy Society # Request a legacy (planned giving) brochure # Thank you for requesting a Legacy brochure # Bequest intention form # Thank you and welcome to our Legacy Society o Donate monthly o Major Giving # Multiyear Initiative o Join the Partner Program o Give in honor or in memory o Foundation support o Corporate support # Our corporate supporters # Policy on third-party aggregators # Corporate gift acceptance policy o Qualified charitable distributions o Donate your royalties + FAQ: Donating + Services for donors o Get a receipt o Update monthly gift info o Contacts for donors * Take action + Fundraise for us o Special occasions o Athletic events o Play video games and stream online o Corporate support o Community fundraisers o FAQ: Fundraising o Search for a Fundraiser + Attend an event o Upcoming events o Recruitment events o Past Events + Event resources + Engage with us o Find out about upcoming webcasts o Volunteer o Missing Maps o MSF On the Road o Buttons & badges o Request a speaker + Join a student chapter + Stand with refugees * Donate + One-time + Monthly + Tribute + By mail Menu Donate Search Mobile Menu * Who we are * What we do * Careers * Support us * Take action * Donate Sign up below and receive latest updates ____________________________________________________________ Get Updates Scroll down for content Breadcrumb * Home Maternal health View Photo UGANDA 2017 © Frederic NOY/COSMOS Maternal health care provided at MSF's health center in Bidibidi, Uganda. UGANDA 2017 © Frederic NOY/COSMOS Click to hide Text Share This Share in FacebookShare in TwitterShare in LinkedIn Many women across the world give birth without medical assistance, massively increasing the risk of complications or death. Every day on average 830 women die from pregnancy-related causes. Most of these deaths are preventable. 99 percent maternal deaths occur in developing countries 50 percent maternal deaths occur during delivery or within 24 hours 1.1 million births assisted by MSF from 2013-2017, including 107,000 Caesarean sections Reproductive health care is an integral part of the medical care Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides, including in emergencies. Our maternal health programs in more than 25 countries focus on reducing maternal and infant mortality through pregnancy and prenatal consultations, emergency obstetric care, postnatal follow-up, and access to family planning services and safe abortion care. Maternal health facts Serious, untreated complications during pregnancy or delivery can be fatal to both mother and infant. The most common complications that may lead to maternal death are: postpartum hemorrhage, reproductive tract infections, eclampsia, unsafe abortion, obstructed labor, and serious infectious diseases. Hemorrhage Hemorrhage, or excessive bleeding, can happen after a complicated birth. Often it results from failure of the uterus to contract after delivery. Normally, these contractions stop the bleeding that occurs once the placenta separates from the uterine wall. But complications or incomplete placental separation can lead to continued bleeding, and without rapid medical intervention, a woman can quickly bleed to death. When skilled birth attendants are present, oxytocin can be given to prevent bleeding. If severe bleeding does occur, the mother is resuscitated and attendants apply methods ranging from further medication and manual pressure to stop the bleeding through to emergency surgery. Severe infection Severe infection can develop during pregnancy or from unhygienic conditions during delivery. One common type is reproductive tract infections (RTI), which cause intrauterine infections that can eventually be fatal to the woman. They can also cause life-threatening infection in the infant. Access to clean water and hygienic conditions during delivery, such as clean hands and a clean delivery surface like a plastic cover, are vital to preventing infections. If an infection occurs, early detection and treatment with the appropriate antibiotic can prevent serious illness or death. Eclampsia and other hypertensive disorders Eclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are linked to high blood pressure and are characterized by seizures that can lead to coma and death. Eclampsia begins during pregnancy as pre-eclampsia, which leads to high blood pressure. Without prenatal care pre-eclampsia can develop into severe pre-eclampsia or full eclampsia, causing symptoms such as swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches, changes in vision, and potentially fatal convulsions. Unsafe abortion Unsafe abortion is a procedure for terminating an unwanted pregnancy either by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment lacking minimal medical standards, or both, as defined by the World Health Organization. Globally, at least 22,000 women die every year from unsafe abortion—the only major cause of maternal death that has not declined in recent decades, despite it being almost complete preventable. Of those women who survive, 7 million suffer serious consequences such as infertility, injury, or complications with future pregnancies. Comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services can greatly reduce the number of unsafe abortions, by offering safer alternatives through family planning and access to safe abortion care. Obstructed labor Obstructed labor can occur if the baby’s head is too large or its position is abnormal, blocking passage through the birth canal. When a mother is malnourished or is very young and therefore has an underdeveloped pelvis, the birth canal itself is often not wide enough to accommodate the head of the baby. If an obstructed labor becomes prolonged, lasting more than 24 hours, the baby may die and the woman is at risk of postpartum hemorrhage, uterine rupture or fistula, and severe infection—all potentially fatal. Skilled staff are essential in managing complicated deliveries and identifying signs that interventions are needed. These can range from IV fluids and/or medications to support labor, to an instrument-assisted delivery (vacuum cup or forceps) or caesarean section. Indirect causes Indirect causes, in particular complications from infectious disease, account for about 20 percent of maternal deaths. During pregnancy, already dangerous diseases can pose even greater threats to both mother and fetus. For example, malaria in pregnant women increases their risk of miscarriage and causes over 10,000 maternal deaths globally, while tuberculosis also increases rates of miscarriage and maternal death. Malaria, tuberculosis, and cholera all raise the risk of stillbirths, death of newborns, or low birth weight infants. For pregnant women at risk for any of these diseases, protecting their health starts with preventive measures. These can include reducing exposure (such as by sleeping under mosquito nets in malaria regions, and ensuring access to clean water and supplies for good hygiene) and short-term use of anti-malarial or anti-tuberculosis drugs during pregnancy. For those who become ill, early diagnosis and treatment are essential. Whether treating malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, or another disease, effective treatment reduces the risk of developing severe complications that threaten the lives of both mother and baby. How MSF responds Our obstetric care programs aim to remedy the crucial "three delays" that can threaten the lives of both mother and child. These are: delay in deciding to seek care; delay in reaching a health facility; and delay in receiving appropriate treatment at the facility. Emergency obstetric care is a key component of this strategy. Emergency care administered promptly by qualified staff can save the lives of women experiencing complications during or just after delivery, when half of all maternal deaths occur. To help reduce barriers to use of our emergency obstetric services, we adapt services to local cultures and (as with all MSF programs) make them free of charge, as our beneficiaries are often among the poorest sector of the population. During conflicts or natural disasters, where health services have often collapsed or are inadequate, emergency obstetrical needs are among the major needs we see. Over the period of 2008-15, 56 percent of all Caesarean sections we performed were in active conflict settings. For this reason, rapid implementation of emergency maternal care is now incorporated into our response to these crises. We also aim to locate services close to the people who need them. In some settings where this is not possible or we serve a large region, we have introduced mobile clinics that travel to areas where people often have no access to health care, combined with referral systems to identify women with pregnancy complications and transfer them when necessary to a health post or hospital that can provide appropriate care. In remote locations such as Kabezi, a rural district in Burundi, we have also implemented ambulance services, which have been linked to significant reductions in maternal mortality. Abla Ali, MSF Midwife, Iraq Giving Syrian refugees a safe place to give birth "The best part of being a midwife is the appreciation from the mothers. They stop me in the camp when I pass and they say to their children: 'This is Abla, she’s a good midwife and she delivered you.'" –Abla Ali, MSF midwife Read more Antenatal care improves the mother’s health during her pregnancy and helps reduce or manage complications for both mother and newborn. In addition, these consultations provide opportunities to inform women and their families about how to recognize complications and to prepare for emergencies, and about health structures where women can go for emergency care, if needed, and for delivery. Post-natal care is another critical area for reducing maternal and infant death and improving the physical and mental wellbeing of mother and child. Most maternal illnesses and deaths occur at or soon after delivery, while the majority of infant deaths occur in the first few days post-delivery—and 30 percent of all child deaths below the age of five occur in the first four weeks of life. HIV/AIDS and preventing mother-to-child transmission Without treatment, 25 to 40 percent of all children born to HIV-positive mothers will also be infected. This rate can be reduced to below five percent with antiretroviral treatments for the mother and a short course of antiretroviral drugs for the baby, together with appropriate breastfeeding practices. We have opened programs on prevention of mother-to-child transmission in many of the world’s most affected regions. In Swaziland, for example, we provided HIV treatment to thousands of HIV-positive pregnant women as soon as possible after their diagnosis to prevent their babies from becoming infected. Providing Our research on maternal health Read more IFRAME: https://www.youtube.com/embed/zB6MarAdouQ?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0 Care for other infectious diseases Pregnant women are more susceptible to infectious diseases, and when infected they are more likely to experience pregnancy complications and face an increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. For this reason, we offer preventive treatment to pregnant women exposed to diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, and provide extra care where appropriate to pregnant women with these diseases or others such as cholera and hepatitis E. Support MSF's work on maternal health and other medical issues Share this to help raise awareness Sign up to receive emails from Doctors Without Borders Donate now to support Doctors Without Borders work on maternal health and other medical issues around the world Related Articles People on the move in Assamaka, Agadez Niger: At the crossroads of migration Dec 20, 2019 “These are basic women’s needs”: Treating Venezuelan women in Colombia Oct 2, 2019 Medical needs of Venezuelan migrants overwhelm the capacity of the Colombian health system Venezuelans in Colombia struggle to find health care: “This is a crisis” Jul 16, 2019 Pagination * More We rely on our network of supporters to tell the stories of the people we help. Help us spread the word. Share On Share in FacebookShare in TwitterShare in LinkedIn Share the link to this page https://www.doctorsw Copy URL This URL has been copied to your clipboard. Learn more about us * Who we are * What we do * Careers * Support us * Take action * Donate * Latest stories * Contact us * Privacy policy How we use funds 88% programs - 1% management and general - 11% fundraising Sign up for updates ____________________________________________________________ Sign up MSF logo See offices around the world Federal tax ID#: 13-3433452 Follow us on... Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Youtube Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Medium Help Spread the Word