Usefull Information

Helping Mothers Survive Material

The Helping Mothers Survive Secretariat aims to ensure that women and newborns worldwide receive high-quality care by equipping health professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

Global strategies to end the preventable deaths of women & newborns in childbirth

This report synthesizes the learnings, findings, and insights from the Ariadne Labs BetterBirth Study, one of the world’s largest studies of maternal-newborn quality of care and mortality with 300,000 women and infants. In addition, the report captures learnings and insights from members of the World Health Organization’s Safe Childbirth Checklist Collaborative, representing sites around the world adapting and implementing the 28-item WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist of essential birth practices.

The report concludes with global recommendations and strategies for policy makers, program designers, implementers, and health system leaders.

Gynaecological cancer in Low Income Countries

The most significant gynecological cancer in women in low Income Countries (LIC) is cervical cancer. The incidence worldwide is 528.000 (year 2012) with a mortality of 266.000. 87% of these cervical cancer deaths occur in women in LIC (Globocan., http://globocan.iarc.fr/old/FactSheets/cancers/cervix-new.asp).

Cervical cancer is preventable: primary prevention involves vaccination with a HPV vaccine of young girls. Secondary prevention involves screening and treatment of pre-malignant cervical lesions. These interventions are feasible in LIC: for example 1 vaccine dose costs USD $ 4.50. Unfortunately, until now, this vaccination is not widely available yet in LIC (Singhrao et al, PLOS, 2013; http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/asset?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001499.PDF). Worldwide, 75 countries have approved the HPV vaccination in their vaccination program, but only a minority of these countries is a LIC.Klik hier om uw eigen tekst toe te voegen

Secundary prevention of cervical cancer is feasible in LIC with cryotherapy or excision of the cervical transformation zone. However this requires training and resources and needs a national commitment of governments and NGOs to combat cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is treatable in early stages with surgery: however this is technically difficult, and not many gynecologist are trained and equipped to reform these kind of operations in LIC. Sadly many women in LIC present with late stages cervical cancer and need (chemo)radiation therapy. The number of radiotherapy units is low in LIC and the costs of treatment are substantial. In some countries palliative care is available to prevent a painful death.

Cervical cancer is a disease of the poor!

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WHO Maternal Mortality Key facts

  • Every day in 2017, approximately 810 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
  • Between 2000 and 2017, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR, number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) dropped by about 38% worldwide.
  • 94% of all maternal deaths occur in low and lower middle-income countries.
  • Young adolescents (ages 10-14) face a higher risk of complications and death as a result of pregnancy than other women.
  • Skilled care before, during and after childbirth can save the lives of women and newborns.