Walking Together for Safe Motherhood

On Friday morning, 18^th February, hundreds of people walked together in Khartoum from Faculty of Medicine at Qasr Street, all along Jama Street to Hotel Burj El Fatih. This walk was organized by White Ribbon Alliance-Sudan with the support from Obstetrics and Gynaecologists Society of Sudan, Ahfad University, Salmmah Women’s Resource Centre and UNFPA. Dr. Nahid Toubia, Chair of White Ribbon Alliance –Sudan, a civil society initiative, said that the walk was organized to promote awareness and educate people about safe motherhood and reducing maternal mortality. Dr.Sami Mahmoud Abdel Khair Consultant Obstetrician shared that the Mortality Rate in Sudan is 1017 per 100,000 births, 750 in the North and 2150 in the South. The life time risk of death for a Sudanese woman is 1 /22 in the North and 1/7 in the South, in comparison to 1/10,000 in Europe. Bleeding just after delivery which is unpredictable is the most common cause for maternal mortality. Much more needs to be done for the training of mid-wives, nurses and doctors. Risk of maternal mortality increases with the number of child birth.

Stories of mothers saved have been collected by White Ribbon Alliance members in 60 communities across nearly 30 countries. Each one is a powerful and moving tale of a woman who survived childbirth- because her family, community, or health worker took urgent action to save her. You can become a member of White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood at www.whiteribbonalliance.org