News

Najat suffered a traumatic birth injury, and nearly died, after her in-laws refused to take her to a hospital during labour. © National Midwives Association/UNFPA

25 June, 2018

Midwife escapes death after being denied maternal health care

SANA’A, Yemen – Najat, a trained midwife, was well aware of the dangers of pregnancy and childbirth. But when her own health needs and professional judgment clashed with her husband’s traditional ideas, she suffered in ways she could not have imagined. Najat was a midwife in the Wesab area of...

Women and girls celebrating after their successful fistula repair surgeries at the Aberdeen Women’s Centre in Freetown © UNFPA Sierra Leone 2018/Angelique Reid

12 June, 2018

Fistula camp helps women and girls in Sierra Leone regain their dignity

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – “When I became pregnant in December 2016, I never attended a health clinic,” said 19-year-old Katimu Kanneh. “I drank traditional medicines supplied to me by traditional birth attendants in the community.” Ms. Kanneh’s labour was difficult, and without adequate care, her...

23 May, 2018

Leaving no one behind: Let us commit to ending fistula now!

Statement of UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, 23 May 2018 Pregnancy and childbirth should be among the happiest of occasions in a woman’s life. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many of the world’s poorest and most marginalized...