Pregnant women particularly affected by climate change
The drought crisis in the Horn of Africa shows that pregnant women, nursing mothers and their babies are particularly affected by climate change. Women's Hope tries to support those affected as much as possible.
The current drought crisis in the Horn of Africa - six consecutive rainy seasons have failed so far - is "one of the longest and most brutal droughts in recent history," according to the UN Population Fund. More than 36 million people have been affected; just over 1.7 million have already been forced to leave their homes as a result of the drought. For pregnant women and mothers with newborns, this is fatal. The consequences:
Malnutrition: Malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women increases the risk of disease and serious or fatal pregnancy complications. In Ethiopia, where Women's Hope operates, a staggering 1.8 million pregnant and lactating women are acutely malnourished and in urgent need of assistance, according to the UN Population Fund.
Limited access to medical care: due to displacement, many women do not have access to health services before, during, and after childbirth, putting their lives and those of their children at risk.
Diseases: Climatic changes promote the spread of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and Zika, which in turn pose a risk to pregnant women and their unborn children. The extreme heat also leads to more stillbirths.
Lack of basic services: Hardship forces women to go without basic necessities such as contraceptives, menstrual products and soap.
To respond to the situation of affected women, Women's Hope has decided to open its own programs for internally displaced persons in the Somali region of Ethiopia. This way they get:
Access to medical services related to pregnancy and childbirth
Information on prenatal care, childbirth and postpartum care
Targeted training to prevent complications during pregnancy and childbirth and to be able to respond properly in an emergency
Last year, our local partner also distributed nearly five hundred kits of sanitary napkins and hygiene items to women in emergency situations.
Finally, Women's Hope invests in equipping local health centers and in training staff. The stronger the local health systems are, the better they can meet the need for support for pregnant women.
Water for the whole village: A well built by our partners in Chad makes life easier for mother of four Aïcha Adam; Photo: Salomon Djekorgee Dainyoo/WHI/Fairpicture
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Cover picture: Women from the Somali region receive hygiene kits through our partner organization OWDA; Photo: Badri Ahmed Hikam
