Goal 5: Improve maternal health

In Kenya, the most likely cause of death for women of reproductive age (15-45 years) is the lack of proper maternal healthcare. Women living in poverty are not able to afford maternal healthcare in hospitals and they depend on the help of untrained traditional birth attendants. Often the delivery is successful, but if complications arise, the child, the mother, or both, often die.

Target: Reduce by three quarters the number of women dying in childbirth.

Every year, 50 million women give birth without the help of a skilled birth attendant. Nearly 600,000 women die every year as a result of difficulties during pregnancy or childbirth. What should be a time of joy and celebration is too often a time of grief and loss in poor communities around the world. In addition to the women who die, many thousands are left injured or infertile after childbirth.

A mother’s death can be devastating to the children left behind. In addition to the emotional trauma and grief of losing a mother, these children are much more likely to live in poverty, drop out of school, and be malnourished. Girls especially are expected to take on the responsibilities of the mother in caring for younger children, preparing food and carrying out household tasks

Aid and development organisations like World Vision seek to improve maternal health by:

1. training and equipping midwives or birth attendants to support mothers in labour.
2. improving access for girls to primary school. Educated girls are more likely to have fewer children and give birth to them later in life. They are also more likely to seek health care and have healthy babies.
3. increasing access to emergency medical care.