Abstract
In this report, the authors describe the dramatic situation of maternal health in African countries. According to the most recent estimates, almost 1 million African women die each year (one maternal death per minute) and a significant proportion of these (between 3 and 4 million) have incapacitating genitourinary fistulae. In contrast, in industrialized countries, only 2,500 maternal deaths are registered yearly (0.47% of the total worldwide) with a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 20 per 100,000 live births. The situation is especially unfavorable in Sub- Saharan Africa, where the distinct MMR are higher than 1,000 per 100,000 live births, with a lifetime risk of maternal death of 1/14 compared with 1/2,800 in developed countries. This report analyzes the causes of maternal death in the African continent, the reasons for the three type of delay that affect these causes (delay in requesting help, delay in arriving at a hospital and delay in receiving medical attention after arrival), as well as the interventions required to reduce the elevated MMR. Finally, an Integral Plan, developed by the World Association of Perinatal Medicine (WAPM) and the International Academy of Perinatal Medicine (IAPM) is presented. This initiative aims to reduce the MMR in Central Africa by two-thirds, in agreement with the spirit of the «Declaration on the Millenium Development Goals» of the United Nations General Assembly.
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