Access to healthcare

Edito

Taking action to improve women's health

When a woman is about to give birth, can you imagine her relatives having to go round the neighbourhood to raise money to pay for the caesarean section that will save her and her baby? No ? Yet this is still a reality in many parts of the world. Every day, around 830 women die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth. And 99% of all maternal deaths occur in low-income countries. These figures are totally unacceptable, given that most of these deaths are due to complications that could be avoided or treated.

For several years now, there has been a growing awareness of this issue: improving maternal health is the 5th Sustainable Development Goal pursued by the United Nations. Over the past 20 years, we have seen a decline in maternal mortality around the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, but this decline has been far too slow and has been weakened in recent years by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The deaths of young mothers are not just a medical problem: they are also a social and political issue. Financial access to healthcare is at the heart of maternal health, and mutual health organisations have a vital role to play in bringing about change. While social protection is self-evident in Belgium, it is much less so in Benin, Togo and Burundi, where Louvain Coopération is working tirelessly to be part of the change. By paying monthly contributions, young mothers who are members of a mutual health insurance scheme can be sure of comprehensive medical care during and after their pregnancy. But women's health is obviously not limited to pregnancy. Breast and cervical cancers are wreaking havoc in Africa today, as are non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.

Find out in this Devlop' what we are doing to improve women's health.

Brice Titipo
Programme Manager
Access to Healthcare and Health Promotion
in West Africa