Sep 27 2008
On The Issues Magazine: Fall 2008: The Terror of Motherhood in Somaliland and Women’s Rights to Safe Care by Edna Adan Ismail
Edna Adan has published a new article which summarizes the health issues facing women and infants in Somaliland. Here are a few excerpts:
My theory is that women in Somaliland die because of ignorance on their part and on the part of those assisting them. Poverty is a strong factor that prevents women from seeking help because they convince themselves that they cannot afford the cost of modern medicine and would rather consult the local traditional healer who often causes more complications.
As far as African women are concerned… We fare the worst compared to women in other continents. In my 48-year experience as a midwife, I see very little improvement in the conditions under which our women progress through their pregnancies and childbirth. It’s a situation that shocks me even more today when I witness the advances that have been made in medical care elsewhere during the past half-century.
What leads the women of our continent to their graves during pregnancy and childbirth? As I describe below, the reasons fall into six categories: nutrition, education, high fertility, female genital mutilation, improper care at delivery and inadequate health facilities.
Read the Full Article:
