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Motherhood in Niger

Motherhood in Niger. Tiffany Adams, August 2, 2006. Demographics. Poorest Country in the world according to the Human Development Index Life Expectancy: 47 years Maternal Mortality: 920 deaths/100,000 live births Infant Mortality: 126 deaths /1,000 live births

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Motherhood in Niger

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  1. Motherhood in Niger Tiffany Adams, August 2, 2006

  2. Demographics • Poorest Country in the world according to the Human Development Index • Life Expectancy: 47 years • Maternal Mortality: 920 deaths/100,000 live births • Infant Mortality: 126 deaths /1,000 live births • Fertility Rate: 8.00 (highest in the world) • Contraceptive Prevalence Rate: 14% • Births attended by skilled health personnel: 16% • Physicians (per 100,000 people): 3 • Annual Population Growth: 2.75% • Prevalence of Anemia in pregnant women: 41%

  3. Obstetric Fistula • Obstetric Fistula is a childbearing injury caused by several days of obstructed labor without medical intervention (Caesarian section). During the prolonged labor, the soft tissues of the pelvis are compressed between the descending baby's head and the mother's pelvic bone. The lack of blood flow causes tissue to die, creating a hole between the mother's vagina and bladder (known as a vesico-vaginal fistula), or between the vagina and rectum (causing a recto-vaginal fistula) or both. • Consequences: Stillbirth, incontinence and resulting social ostracism, amenorrhea, vaginal scarring, secondary infertility.

  4. Why is Obstetric Fistula Important? • Obstetric Fistula is preventable through quality obstetric and prenatal care, and Caesarian section. It is also operable. • The mean duration of labor and delivery in Niger is 3.01 days. • Five sites in Niger offer fistula repair. Six surgeons are trained to perform the operation. • At the national hospital in Niamey, the capital city, 47 women currently await surgery. Some have lived in the fistula compound awaiting surgery for more than 10 years.

  5. Risk Factors for Obstetric Fistula • Poverty • Malnutrition • Inadequate Obstetric Care • Early Marriage • Gender Discrimination • Numerous births • Home Delivery • Traditional practices: Giving water to a woman in labor, FGM.

  6. Critical Needs: What Needs to be done • More trained providers • Additional support services • Greater awareness • Access to Family Planning Services • Empowerment of women • Improved transportation services

  7. UNFPA Campaign to End Obstetric Fistula • In Niger, 140 fistula repairs were performed in 2004, 600 community health workers received special training on fistula and a concert was organized to raise funds for the construction of a fistula centre in Tahoua. • The Campaign, launched in 2003, has brought fistula to the attention of a wide audience, including the general public, policy-makers, health officials and women with fistula. More than $10.5 million in funding has been mobilized from a variety of donors. • The campaign is also working in Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, Nigeria, Sudan, Zambia.

  8. Other Efforts • Love, Labor, Loss: One-hour documentary which follows five women in Niger with obstetric fistula. Provides a look into a major safe motherhood issue and is used in advocacy. • International Organization for Women in Development (IOWD): Brings volunteer surgeons to Niger to operate on women with fistula. Trains Nigerien doctors to perform surgery. Educates fistula-repaired women to teach literacy and vocational skills to re-integrate into society. The government of Niger is supportive of this and other programs.

  9. Conclusion Saving the lives of women and children through provision of quality care and adequate nutrition vastly increases the quality of life in low-income countries such as Niger. “The sun should not rise or set twice on a laboring woman” - African Proverb

  10. REFERENCES • “Niger: Country Situation at Baseline”. UNFPA Campaign to End Fistula. http://www.endfistula.org/download/niger_factsheet.pdf • “Recognizing the Needs in Niger”. UNFPA Campaign to End Fistula. http://www.endfistula.org/docs/na_niger.pdf • UNDP Data. http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/countries.cfm?c=NER • Embassy of Niger. http://www.nigerembassyusa.org/profile.html • Merson, M. Black, R. Mills, A. International Public Health: Diseases, Programs, Systems and Policies • Love, Labor, Loss. http://www.governessfilms.com/fistula/index2.html Governess Films. • The Linkages Project. Academy for Educational Development • Family Care International. http://www.familycareintl.org/issues/unwanted.php • The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood. http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/ • The Safe Motherhood Initiative. http://www.safemotherhood.org/about/whatis_sm.html

  11. References Cont’d • Academy for Educational Development www.aed.org • World Health Organization www.who.org • WHO 2005. “The Focus Crisis in Niger: Strategic Approach & Plan of Action”. • The Micronutrient Initiative www.micronutrient.org MI. “VM Deficiency National Damage Assessments Reports National Protection Audits”. • Basics www.basics.org • Basics. “Large-Scale Application of Nutrition Behavior Change Approaches: Lessons from West Africa”. • Linkages Project www.linkagesproject.org • Linkages Project. “Essential Health Sector Actions to Improve Maternal Nutrition in Africa (Summary)”.

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