Francisca gave birth at home because there was no health center nearby in rural Nicaragua. She was lucky — she didn’t endure complications during pregnancy or childbirth. But hundreds of thousands of women and their babies are not as fortunate. Almost every minute of the day a pregnant woman needlessly dies because she can’t get trained medical assistance in time.
Pregnancy should be a time to celebrate, not a time to fear death. But, in some poor countries, one in seven women die during pregnancy and childbirth. These women aren’t dying because the health community doesn’t know how to prevent their deaths. They are dying because the world doesn’t care enough. Do you?
Women’s lives should be saved because they matter — as humans, as mothers and as valuable contributors to society. At CARE, we’ve learned that healthy mothers are one of the keys to overcoming poverty — they can give their children the foundation they need to chart their way out of poverty for good. Healthy moms have a better chance at giving birth to babies who can thrive and grow up strong, and healthy moms are more likely to earn an income and send their children to school.
That’s why CARE made reducing maternal mortality one of our top priorities. From training women like Francisca to be midwives to educating families about reproductive health, CARE helps save lives and empowers women to create a brighter future for themselves, their families and their communities.
Be a Seed for Change 