Photographs for Parliamentary Enquiry on

Maternal Morbidity

Unwanted Pregnancies

Pregnancy in early adolescence is often unwanted

Unsafe abortions

Unsafe abortion accounts for 13% of all maternal deaths

Prolonged and Obstructed Labours

Barriers to Accessing Professional Care

Ethiopian MoH Survey[1] showed most commonly reported deterrent to accessing maternity care is fear there will be no health worker present at the health centre

Labour and delivery wards are set up with very little attention to women’s dignity and needs

Often not hygienic or welcoming places for women to deliver

[1] Central Statistical Agency Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and ORC Macro, Calverton USA, Ethiopia, Demographic and Health Survey 2005

No privacy as delivery beds close together, facing outwards to corridor into labour wards

Delivery beds like these require the mother to deliver in supine position, instead of more natural and comfortable positions

With long and difficult journeys, it can take days for women facing prolonged and obstructed labours to reach hospital. This delay contributes to obstetric fistula.

Case Study – Fistula Ethiopia

Achuwache’s StoryAchuwache was married at fifteen, and soon afterwards had a difficult pregnancy and prolonged labour. The long labour caused a fistula – a hole between the vagina and the bladder, which causes incontinence.

Achuwache: “After twelve days labour I went to the health centre. They couldn’t do anything. They said take her to Gonder (six hours away) and that was it. They took me back home. They thought they were taking my corpse home, but when it’s not your time, it’s not your time. I survived and had the baby at home. It was dead. Then I had this problem. I got damaged.

As far as my family was concerned, I didn’t exist, but here I am, alive. My husband divorced me straight away before the year was out. People only like you when you’re healthy.” It was six years before Achuwache heard that her problem could be cured and underwent a successful operation to repair her fistula.

Eclampsia and pre eclampsia

Edema, or swelling, of the feet and ankles, if severe, is associated with pre eclampsia

Haemorrhage and anaemia

Infections including HIV

Filthy conditions like these spread infections

Postnatal depression