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Maternal health in Malawi

Why can the process of pregnancy and childbirth still be so dangerous for women?

The process of childbirth can be painful yet amazing, but at times also very dangerous.聽Recorded in Malawi, east Africa, Claudia Hammond is joined by a panel of maternal health experts to figure out why it is that the equivalent of a large jumbo jet full of women die every day due to complications in pregnancy or childbirth.

Together, they examine how so many women can still be at risk during this period, despite greater access to healthcare. They also look into whether an 80-year-old drug could be a game-changer when it comes to haemorrhage, and consider a study of 1.3 million women which asked what they actually want from maternal healthcare.

With Owen Chikwaza from the Malawi Ministry of Health, Linda Mipando of Kamuzu University and Elimase Kamanga-Gama, director of the White Ribbon Alliance Malawi, Claudia looks at the many challenges and successes within the field, drawing from local experiences to offer global insights.

Image credit: lostinbids
Image description: A close-up of an African American couple having an antenatal assessment

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Sun 5 May 2024 11:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 4 May 2024 18:06GMT
  • Sun 5 May 2024 08:06GMT
  • Sun 5 May 2024 11:06GMT