I couldn't go (because I was working for a change) but I was invited to go to London on Friday to a Save the Children press conference to discuss a new report about the world's 'Missing Midwives'. Can you believe that in this day and age 48 million women (that equates to 1 in 3) around the world give birth without a midwife or any kind of assistance?
If I'm completely honest giving birth wasn't the most pleasant experience of my life and I took for granted a clean ward, trained staff and pain relief. Along with all the professionals my Mum and one of my friends were also there. It blows my mind that 1,000 women and 2,000 babies die every day from birth complications that could be easily preventable.
There is a stark difference in the number of trained midwives available in the developing world. For instance in the UK we have over 26,000 practising midwives delivering 749,000 babies. In Rwanda there are only 46 midwives delivering 400,000 babies!! That's just crazy! The most dangerous place in the world to give birth is currently Afghanistan although thanks, in part, to Save the Children this is beginning to change. Worldwide there is a shortage of 3.5 million health workers.
Save the Children are launching this initiative as part of the 'No child born to die' campaign with some celebrity support including Natasha Kaplinsky and Stacey Solomon:
What is really needed though is the backing and funding of governments throughout the world to put Health Workers at the forefront of their plans to achieve the Millenium Development Goals and to plug the gaps in care. You can pledge your support for this campaign and join with other Mothers here so that many more women get access to the health care they need.
What is really needed though is the backing and funding of governments throughout the world to put Health Workers at the forefront of their plans to achieve the Millenium Development Goals and to plug the gaps in care. You can pledge your support for this campaign and join with other Mothers here so that many more women get access to the health care they need.
Lets hope that with your help the campaign makes a huge difference to the women and babies of the world. We should also be grateful this Mothers Day for what we in the Western world are lucky enough to have. I will be thanking my lucky stars that I didn't give birth alone and thinking about all the other Mum's around the world who haven't had that privilege!!
For more information about the campaign or to make a donation then please visit www.savethechildren.org.uk The report is available to read here!
