BU Research Blog

The Daily Monitor in Uganda published the sad story of the death in childbirth of Juliet Angwech Opoka-Kinyera and her new-born baby.  The story is told by Juliet’s sister Alice Opoka.  Before starting her PhD in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences Alice worked in the field of maternal health as a researcher and health educator.  Alice Opoka is cited in the newspaper article as saying: “Childbirth in other parts of the world is a moment of joy and expectation for the newest addition to the family. Sadly, in the developing world, it is a bridge between life and death.”

But rather than silently remembering her sister, Alice uses her story to highlight the imporance of reducing maternal mortality.  She expresses this eloquantly in the following sentences: “To save even just one woman and baby from the claws of death at a time when she is meant to be bringing life to this earth. If we see human faces beyond the statistics, perhaps there will be a new sense of urgency to prevent maternal deaths from happening anywhere in the world.  Each one playing their part in the community, health facility and government.”

Every day nearly 800 women die in childbirth, nearly all of them in low-income countries and nearly all there deaths are ‘avoidable’.  Nearly two decades ago Dr Brundtland, the then Director-General of the WHO (World Health Organization), highlighted that “Because of our collective failure to solve this problem, the tragedy of maternal mortality represents a major source of suffering and injustice in our societies.” She added “This situation cannot be allowed to continue.”  Today women are still dying unnecessary.  Alice’s story is a stark reminder why research into improving maternity care for women in low-income countries is so very important.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinal Health