There's nothing festive about women dying

Every 90 seconds, a woman dies giving birth.
That’s 358,000 mothers lost every year.

In Sierra Leone, what is supposed to be one of the most memorable and cherished events in a parent’s life is reduced to a dangerous game of Russian roulette, with women facing a one in eight chance of dying during pregnancy and childbirth.

Thousands of women bleed to death after giving birth. Most die in their homes. Some die on the way to hospital; in taxis, on motorbikes or on foot. However, these deaths are preventable.

This is not just a global health emergency; it is a human rights scandal.

The vast majority of women who die are poor and come from developing countries. They are dying needlessly because of gender discrimination, social injustice and because politicians are dragging their feet in trying to tackle these problems.

Less than half of deliveries are attended by a skilled birth attendant and less than one in five are carried out in health facilities. Pregnant women are being denied the right to the highest attainable standard of health care by financial and political barriers.

Every 90 seconds, a woman dies giving birth because politicians choose to do nothing.

In spite of promises from the Sierra Leone Government to provide free health care to all pregnant women, health care services are still greatly inaccessible for women living in poverty and remote areas.

Today, you can help Amnesty International to protect the rights of these women. Donate now to help prevent another woman dying.

A life worth saving?

In Sierra Leone, sadly everybody knows someone that has died from giving birth. Adama Kamara was just 25 years old when she died at home on 27 December 2008 in the village of Kapairo, Kambia district. Her husband Pa Abu Kamara was unable to pay for the medicine she needed. It was Adama’s fifth pregnancy. She had had one stillbirth and three successful deliveries.

On 24 December 2008 Adama was approximately six months pregnant and went into premature labour. The next day her family transported her to Kambia government hospital - costing Le40,000 (NZ$12.40), which her husband borrowed from his neighbours. When they arrived at the hospital, Pa Abu had to pay Le2,000 (NZ$0.62) for registration and Le10,000 (NZ$3.10) for a hospital bed, in addition to charges for her medicine.

At the hospital, Adama was given an intravenous drip as well as several injections by the nurses on duty. She spent that day and the next in the hospital, and no doctor was present during that time. Adama gave birth, but her baby did not survive. She began to bleed heavily but despite the fact that this was an emergency situation and despite the government’s free care policy, there was no free medication. The nurse in charge at Kambia hospital told Pa Abu that he had to pay for medicines for Adama or “she will die.” Pa Abu told Amnesty International, “I didn’t have any more money. I just took Adama out of the hospital and took her home. She didn’t look good and I could not pay the hospital charge for her body which is at least Le60,000 (NZ$18.60).” Pa Abu hired a taxi to take his wife from the hospital and she died at home the next day.

Pa Abu told Amnesty International he felt sad about Adama’s death and is still coming to terms with his loss and “especially for her children.” In addition, he was still struggling to pay off the debt he incurred taking Adama to the hospital.

Adama is just one of the thousands of women whose death could have been prevented by accessible, affordable and timely medical care.

Demand Dignity for the women in Sierra Leone

Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity campaign aims to end these human rights violations at the core of poverty; which drive maternal mortality.

With your support, we are:

Exposing and highlighting the scandal of preventable maternal mortality.
Campaigning for the rights to safe motherhood, including the right to accessible and quality healthcare free of discrimination, coercion and violence.
Mobilising the public to call on governments to remove barriers to accessing healthcare.

In 1997 Mahmoud Fathalla, Former President of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics said:

“Women are not dying because of diseases we cannot treat. They are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving.”

Thirteen years later, we still have failed to act. We must act now.