Every two minutes, a woman dies in the world from pregnancy or childbirth problems that could have been avoided. Every minute, six newborns die due to the poor health of their mothers.
In Guinea-Bissau, the situation is especially critical. The country ranks 5th in the world in maternal mortality, and many women need to walk more than an hour to access basic health services. About 40% of women's deaths are related to gestational complications, making it a tragic statistic.
In 2020, during a visit to a maternity hospital in Guinea, I witnessed impactful stories. One of them was that of a woman who lost her twin babies on the way to the hospital, as she had to travel by bicycle from too far away. This story is not isolated; Similar tragedies occur daily throughout the country.
Inspired by the story of Sifra and Puah, midwives who protected lives in Egypt, we decided to take action to protect life. We are training midwives and doulas and plan to create a model maternity school in Guinea-Bissau where women can receive respectful and professional care.