Way back in 2002, I spent a few months in Sierra Leone. It is a beautiful country, stunning (remember those Bounty Bar adverts from the 1980s? Those beaches are in Sierra Leone) populated by a funny, touching, vibrant people. I loved my time there, loved the people who had endured so much and yet were still smiling.
At the time I was working with a whole bunch of women and listened to their stories. As in the UK, many of them centred around children, child birth and pregnancy. Not having children at the time I did not fully appreciate the extent to which their experiences would differ from mine own a few years later.
Whilst I luxuriated in regular ante natal checks, only 56% of Sierra Leonean women do. I had 2 midwives present throughout my labours (and, if we are being totally accurate was also seen by a consultant, an anaesthetist and a couple of students if I remember correctly), in Sierra Leone 58% of women do not have a qualified health professional present at the birth of their child. If you are Sierra Leonean the life time risk of dying from pregnancy related causes is 1 in 21. (UNICEF)
In April 2010 access to health care in Sierra Leone was made free for pregnant and breast feeding women and children under 5. Within a month the number of women going to hospital to give birth doubled and there was a huge jump in the number of children attending health centres. (Oxfam)
Oxfam have started a campaign to encourage the UK government to do what it can to replicate this success in other countries. They are asking people to send a Mothers Day card to Andrew Mitchell, the Secretary of State for Development, urging him to encourage more successes like this one.
I feel to demand free healthcare for other Mums makes this is a Mothers Day card worth sending. Please consider doing so yourself. To request a card or see more information about this campaign please click here.