Making a Lasting Impact on Mothers in Africa
Learn how USAID is advancing quality, respectful, and accessible care for mothers and their families
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, women — and mothers in particular — have borne the brunt of hardships brought about by lockdowns, economic crises, and disruptions to food systems. The pandemic has limited access to essential health care, cost countless women their jobs, and closed schools around the world. Many mothers were challenged to find emergency health services and child care, as well as the means to feed their families.
Pregnant mothers and newborns have experienced worsening health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, with increases in maternal deaths, stillbirths, and maternal anxiety and depression.
Even before the pandemic, more than 800 women around the world died each day from preventable causes related to pregnancy — reflecting the urgent need for better access to timely, affordable, and respectful maternal care.
USAID recognizes the disproportionate challenges that women around the world are facing due to the pandemic, which fuels our work to advance quality, respectful, and accessible care for mothers and their families.
Improving Access to Emergency Care for Mothers in Uganda
In Uganda, pregnant women are often unable to access the timely, quality care they need due to limited transportation options and poor communication between health facilities and ambulances, which leads to delays in life-saving health care.
To address the lack of access to emergency care for mothers in Kampala, USAID improved referral systems and established a call and dispatch center in partnership with the local government to train dispatch officers and deploy, coordinate, and track ambulances to ensure quick responses for moms needing emergency care.
“From the training, I learnt how to help mothers who are stranded at health facilities where they have gone to receive help, yet their issues cannot be handled at such a facility,” explained Hadijjah Nambi, an emergency dispatch officer. “For example, some mothers with a history of cesarean births go to health facilities that cannot conduct surgeries. When such mothers call, I advise them accordingly and also link them to available ambulances to help take them to health facilities that can serve them best.”
Mothers in Rwanda Improve Nutrition for Their Communities
In Eastern Rwanda, USAID supports an integrated nutrition program in local Village Nutrition Schools that encourage community gatherings where parents learn about nutritious foods and how to prepare nutrient-dense meals for their children.
USAID worked with mothers and nominated role model parents, or ‘Mamas Lumiere,’ to receive training and mentoring to engage other parents in the village nutrition schools’ activities, lead cooking demonstrations, and provide counseling and support to other parents. With USAID support, Rwandan mothers have increased food security in their homes, improved feeding practices for their children, and reduced malnutrition in their communities.
“Beyond rehabilitating our children, the Village Nutrition School has taught us better nutrition practices and positive behaviors to ensure our children are free from malnutrition,” says Mukarukundo Thérѐse, a mother of seven from Rwinkwavu Sector in Eastern Rwanda.
Dignified Maternal Health Care in Malawi
Through the What Women Want campaign, thousands of Malawian women have expressed their desire for respectful and dignified care, including having a choice of health care provider, being allowed a companion during care, and providing informed consent.
To improve access to dignified and respectful care for mothers in Malawi, USAID supported local partners as they worked with the Ministry of Health to adopt the updated Respectful Maternity Care Charter: The Universal Rights of Women and Newborns and recruit more than 500 nurses and midwives since the beginning of 2021.
The revised charter clearly articulates the rights of women and newborns when receiving maternity care within a health facility — helping women know and demand their rights.
Mothers Are Irreplaceable Community Pillars
Mothers who have both physical and mental health needs met are the cornerstone of resilient communities. They play invaluable roles in their families, societies, and economies, which is why we must continue to recognize and address the barriers that women face in accessing quality health care and nutrition services.
A mother’s love, good health, and well-being determines the health of the next generation and links families to health systems, saving the lives of countless newborns and young children.
With USAID support, countless mothers have increased access to emergency care, better nutrition, and affirmation of their dignity.
About the Authors
Stephanie Mork is a Communications Analyst in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health; Bailey Adams is a Communications Intern in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health.
