The Effects of the Maternal Health Improvement Project in the Louga Region of Senegal.

Babacar Ndiaye,Eunmi Lee,Gahee Ham,Kilho Kang,Yunsung Choi,Louis Thiam,Youngran Yang

doi:10.3390/ijerph19010396

Abstract

Maternal mortality remains a major global health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Senegal is one of the countries in the region that lagged behind in reaching the Millennium Development Goal 5, the deadline of which passed in 2015. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of information, education, and communication (IEC) activities conducted in Louga, Senegal. Community groups and facilitators conducted IEC campaigns, home visits, and various awareness-raising activities. This study used secondary data as part of the baseline and mid-term evaluations. Participants included women and men who had one or more children under five years of age. It was found that the level of awareness of at least three danger signs of pregnancy recognised by men significantly increased, and husbands/partners more frequently accompanied their wives during antenatal care in 2019 than in 2018. Women’s empowerment improved significantly in terms of women making their own health decisions, joining community decision-making associations or groups, and using contraception. This project indicates that policies and programs are needed to increase men’s involvement and empower women to further women’s reproductive health to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3 and reduce maternal mortality in Senegal.

Highlights

According to the latest World Health Organization figures, every day in 2017, approximately 810 women died from preventable causes during pregnancy or childbirth.Almost all of these deaths (94%) occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries.Sub-Saharan Africa is the continent most affected by such deaths
Taking fresh impetus from the MDGs, in 2015, the UN adopted a new sustainable development agenda, which focused on 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to substitute the MDGs
Under Agenda 2063, which is being promoted by the African Union in relation to the SDGs to further the universal principles of women’s human rights and aim to achieve complete gender equality in all areas of life, efforts have been made to ensure quality education is provided to women [14]

Summary

Introduction

According to the latest World Health Organization figures, every day in 2017, approximately 810 women died from preventable causes during pregnancy or childbirth.Almost all of these deaths (94%) occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries.Sub-Saharan Africa is the continent most affected by such deaths. According to the latest World Health Organization figures, every day in 2017, approximately 810 women died from preventable causes during pregnancy or childbirth. Almost all of these deaths (94%) occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries. 100,000 live births in high-income countries [1] These overwhelming figures highlight maternal mortality as an urgent public health issue in developing countries. To fight this issue, one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG5) was to reduce maternal mortality by three-fourths by 2015, making low-risk maternity a priority [2]. Under the SDG agenda, SDG3.1 has led to a new maternal health transformation initiative to end

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion