A close call for Gambia’s women and girls – but expectant mothers remain at risk
Published:
Read Time: 3 mins
Banjul, The Gambia, 13 August 2024:
The Gambia’s National Assembly has just rejected a bill that sought to repeal the law banning female genital mutilation (FGM).
While this outcome has been welcomed and many are relieved that this horrific practice remains illegal, there is still concern for the women who have already been subjected to FGM. Despite its legal status, FGM is still widely carried out in the country.
According to The Gambia’s most recent Demographic and Health Survey, more than 7 in 10 women aged 15-49 have undergone FGM.
And when an FGM survivor becomes pregnant – her risk of complications multiplies dramatically.
For example, an Action Aid report states that a woman who has been through FGM has a 5-fold increased risk of heavy bleeding after birth – otherwise known as postpartum haemorrhage. According to UNFPA, this is the leading cause of maternal deaths across the world. Every year 70,000 women die from this condition, most of them in Africa.
In response to this, local charity Horizons Trust Gambia has launched a fundraising campaign. The money raised will train 60 midwives to deal with any birth complications that may sadly arise, including those as a result of FGM.
The Chairman of Horizons Trust Gambia, says: “We know from the UN's Sustainable Development Goals Global Database 2023 that The Gambia has the 18th highest maternal mortality rate in the world. And UNICEF Data Warehouse’s statistics from 2021 show that we have the 26th highest neonatal mortality rate globally. This is unacceptable and needs to change. At Horizons, we believe in providing solutions to this problem. We support the continuous professional development of doctors, midwives, anaesthetists, and cleaners in The Gambia. Newborn babies and mothers in the country deserve nothing less than world-class healthcare. Our vision is a country where no mother or baby dies a preventable death in childbirth.”
Horizons has a proven track record of successfully delivering training programmes. In 2023, the charity trained over 70 Gambian healthcare professionals in global best practices of obstetric and neonatal care. This course gave participants the skills and knowledge to treat various complications that can occur during childbirth. These included postpartum haemorrhage, neonatal sepsis, eclampsia, obstetric fistula, and both maternal and neonatal resuscitation.
And the results were extremely positive – for example, pre and post lecture assessments for the obstetric fistula session showed more than a 72% jump in understanding of the subject following the lecture.
Amie, a midwife at Kanifing General Hospital in The Gambia, attended this programme: "Horizons' training was very effective. It helped me to know the signs and symptoms of obstetric fistula - how to manage it and prevent it - and know those who are at risk. It's all about having a live and healthy mother and baby at the end of the day."
But this year additional funding is needed by Horizons Trust Gambia to continue this programme.
The charity is aiming to raise £16,000 to equip midwives in these life-saving skills. £250 will pay for one midwife to take part in this essential learning.
That one trained midwife can contribute towards saving thousands of lives in her career, and train others to do the same.
You can help, right now, by donating to Horizon Trust Gambia’s JustGiving page.
Ends
Editors notes
Donation link: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/horizonstrust
About Horizons Trust Gambia
Horizons Trust Gambia’s mission is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in The Gambia. We work tirelessly to stop preventable deaths of mothers and babies in childbirth. The country has the 18th highest maternal mortality and the 26th highest neonatal mortality rate in the world. Every single life lost is one too many. We partner with global institutions to provide world-class training for health workers, deliver outreach programmes in maternity units, and distribute essential equipment to midwives. Our dream is that every pregnancy is a happy event here.
MEDIA CONTACT: Anna Ceesay +220 261 8096 anna@fabella.gm
