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Sarah Smith

1/16/17

Independent Research

Born to a Developing World

Mothers and children in developing countries are dying every day due to illnesses that

could have been prevented by inexpensive and lifesaving medicine. Giving birth is the most

dangerous thing a woman in Africa can do in their short lifespan, as 270,000 women die every

year due to complications in childbirth. That means one mother dying every two minutes, adding

up to eight hundred every day. A Nigerian mother, Toyin Ojora-Saraki gave birth on her wedding

day to twins, three months early. As she traveled from London to Nigeria for her wedding, it

became apparent that the advances of medicine in England had not reached her somewhat

urbanized maternity hospital in Nigeria. During childbirth, one of her children had died, she

became severely anemic, and having almost lost not only her own life, but her surviving childs.

After three days, the nurses began to painfully pump breast milk without any explanation or

sterilization. These conditions seem horrendous, but Orora-Sarakis case seems lucky, as most of

Nigerian women give birth without anyone of medical training present. Stillbirths are unrecorded

frequently and even if these women survive, they suffer from permanent birth injuries. Infant and

maternal mortality rates in developing countries can be lowered with inexpensive and accessible

medical supplies, proper training with modern medicine, trained medical personnel, and

education of women.

Trained medical personnel, when sent to developing countries, decreased the infant and

maternal mortality rates due to the level of care provided, replacing broken healthcare systems

with modern technologies and medicine. The few medical personnel in developing countries are
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not trained with modern technologies and medical advances, causing most procedures to be stuck

in the dark ages of medicine. The World Health Organization deployed midwives to sub-Saharan

Africa in 1990, causing the maternal mortality rates to drop 44%. When focusing government

budgeting on developing countries, the infant mortality rate dropped by 28% every year due to

increased training, supplies, and overall knowledge of causes of illness. One of the biggest

barriers in spreading modern medical knowledge is the lack of understanding of the causes of

illness in African society. The mindset of African culture hold back the chance to fully

understand and treat disease. Belief in karma and evil spirits punishing societies fuels the cause

of mortality in African society, and rituals cure those of ailments. (U.S National Library of

Medicine).This lack of understanding leads to high infant and maternal mortality rates. Without

modern technologies, training, and accessible medicine, the barrier is ever present in modern

society. Many of these illnesses can be easily treated with modern-trained medical personnel and

inexpensive medicine.

Preventable diseases and injury are some of the most prevalent causes of death in

developing countries. Lack of understanding of illness is caused by the cultural divide and

misunderstanding of causes of disease and injury. Beliefs of evil spirits of karma causing illness

cause permanent danger and death to those in life-threatening conditions, especially during or

after childbirth. (U.S National Library of Medicine). Women die due to severe bleeding after

childbirth. Infections after improper care after childbirth, and high blood pressure during

pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia), and complications during delivery; all preventable and

treatable by trained medical personnel. (World Health Organization).

Due to lack of modern training in clinics and hospitals, Malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea cases

are not correctly identified, causing death in young children. Life-saving drugs cost just 30-40
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cents per person, but 13 million children under the age of 5 die each year due to illnesses such as

these, all that could have been prevented (The Economist). In many cases, deaths and permanent

injuries can be cured or treated with efficient healthcare delivery systems, which many

developing countries lack. Without these delivery systems, mothers and children are stuck in

unsafe situations without proper medical care and supplies.

Efficient healthcare delivery systems and supplies decrease infant and maternal mortality

rates by providing quick and effective care in times of need. These delivery systems show

weakness in times of crisis, emergencies, or incident involving numerous victims. Without these

efficient delivery systems, mothers and children in life-threatening conditions are left without

trained medical personnel to assist in unstable conditions.(Razzak, Kellermann). With an

increase in medical personnel, this problem would decrease drastically. When a midwife was

placed in a developing country, children under the age of 1 who died due to cases such as

diarrhea 39%, and those who died due to respiratory illness decreased 43%. (Razzak,

Kellermann). Midwives are also inexpensive and highly trained in conditions such as those in

developing countries. On the other hand, medical kits are expensive and unattainable in most

parts of developing countries. The acquiring of clean medical kits has been a struggle, but

necessary, as they are likely to reduce infection during and after birth. (Givewell). Midwives,

trained to perform to the best to their abilities in conditions such as those in developing

countries, provide safe and efficient medical attention to those in need in dangerous situations

and environments.

Training of medical personnel, such as clinic workers, midwives, or doctors on modern

technology and medicine will decrease maternal and infant mortality rates in developing

countries. Lack of healthcare professions in developing countries is due to lack of accessible

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resources in rural areas in countries such as Africa. Medical professionals move to continue

training in developed countries and want more conducive work environments in modern

hospitals. (World Health Organization). This migration of trained medical personnel has caused

mortality rates in developing countries to raise again, so much so that 1,000 children die each

year due to lack of medical personnel. (UNICEF). In cases such as Ojora-Sarakis, mothers and

children, if they survive, can be left with life-threatening and extreme defects. Maternal mortality

has skyrocketed in war-stricken countries such as Afghanistan. The mortality rate has defended

its title of largest maternal mortality rate with 1,800 mothers out of 10,000 to die while giving

birth or after giving birth. In countries such as Afghanistan, roads are destroyed by floods or

avalanches; mothers must walk for hours or days to clinics in order to receive medical care.

(UNICEF). Along with rising maternal mortality rates, infant mortality rates have raised

drastically as well. 13 million children under the age of 5 die each year due to illnesses that could

have been prevented. (The Right to Education). With the help of trained medical personnel,

these rates will drop drastically. Midwives are trained to perform in unsanitary, disease-infested,

and unsafe conditions; neglect of midwifery is due to over-medicalization of pregnancy cae or a

lack of resources, leaving high maternal and infant mortality rates. (World Health Organization).

Midwives and midwives in training are taking steps to improve maternal and infant mortality

rates, such as helping improve unsafe environments due to natural disaster, crime, and

undevelopment.

Due to causes that are commonly overlooked by many in developing countries, millions

of mothers and children die each year. Some of these life-saving medicines cost just a meager 30

cents a person, per day. Women in developing countries travel through unsafe conditions in

order to receive the best medical care they can manage, where they do not have qualified medical
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personnel at pop-up clinics. Medicine or medical care to provide a mother with the bare

minimum care costs a family as much as a weeks worth of meals. Sanitary medical kits and

medical personnel are rare in undeveloped, neglected areas, causing extremely high maternal and

infant mortality rates. Infant and maternal mortality rates in developing countries can be lowered

with inexpensive and accessible medical supplies, proper training with modern medicine, trained

medical personnel, and education of women. By small donations to organizations to

organizations such as UNICEF, Medical Bridges, or conservation and collection of unused

medical supplies in hospitals and clinics, mortality rates in developing countries would decrease

drastically. Mothers and children in developing countries may seem worlds away, but any steps

taken to help improve conditions in these countries is extremely beneficial. Even by preserving

resources at home, money saved by the government would be able to be concentrated on issues

such as these. Saving water, donating medical kits to a charity such as the World Health

Organization could mean life or death to a mother and her child.

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27 Oct. 2016.
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By the End of 2015, Roughly 303 000 Women Will Have Died during and following Pregnancy
and Childbirth. Almost All of These Deaths Occurred in Low-resource Settings, and
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Most Could Have Been Prevented. "Maternal Mortality." World Health Organization.
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Cheap Cures." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 2002. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

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Kweifio-Okai, Carla. "Your stories on childbirth and maternal healthcare around the world."
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https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/may/28/your-stories-childbirth-
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Razzak, Junaid A., and Arthur L. Kellermann. "Emergency Medical Care in Developing
Countries: Is It Worthwhile?" Emergency Medical Care in Developing Countries: Is It
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Unicef. "Midwife Training Programme Aims to Reduce Maternal Mortality in Afghanistan."

UNICEF. UNICEF, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

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