13th October, 2011
Stand Up for African Mothers 2011 campaign launch
Ugandan midwife Esther Madudu addressed delegates on Thursday 13th October at the Women's Forum Global meeting in France, launching AMREF's Stand Up for African Mothers campaign.
Joined by Uganda's minister of health Christine Ondoa, and with the backing of Uganda's first lady, Janet Museveni, Esther spearheads AMREF’s 'Stand Up for African Women' campaign, which draws attention to the lack of skilled care for African mothers, and raises money for improved maternal health facilities.
Janet Museveni, who is formally endorsing Stand Up for African Mothers, has pledged to ask other African first ladies to officially back the campaign.
Between 250,000 and 280,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth in Sub-Saharan Africa every year, simply because medical care is too expensive or unreachable.
Women living in rural and poor areas are the most at risk where often there is little or no access to qualified health personnel and well equipped facilities.
Whereas access to skilled midwives, antibiotics, obstetricians and an operating theatre should complications arise are taken for granted in the developed world, in Africa they are regarded as luxuries.
Most maternal deaths are preventable with access to skilled care from a trained midwife
AMREF is the only organisation in Africa which has trained health workers, including midwives, for over 50 years. As part of the campaign, AMREF aims to train an extra 6,000 midwives over the next five years, who could save the lives of 70,000 mothers, reducing maternal deaths in Africa by 25 per cent.
Esther, who has been a midwife for ten years and now works on AMREF’s Katine project, was an obvious choice to front the campaign, says AMREF Uganda’s Country Manager, Joshua Kyallo. "We are picking someone with whom we have worked in Katine for four years, and we have seen the results of her work. Her professionalism and persona have impressed us all."
Esther was very pleased to have been chosen by AMREF, saying, "I feel good, I feel I am going to share a lot of experiences and defend the fate of the mothers of Africa. I feel we are going to save more mothers and babies.
"My dream was to save lives. When you hear a baby cry on delivery, everyone begins to rejoice."
You can find out more about the campaign at www.standupforafricanmothers.com
Read more about maternal health issues in Africa in AMREF UK's Maternal Health factsheet.
Find out more about AMREF's work training midwives.