“ALIMA LAUNCHES ‘ODE TO STRANGERS’ VIDEO SERIES ON MATERNAL HEALTH IN AFRICA”
MOMS ACROSS THE WORLD SHARE PERSONAL STORIES TO RAISE FUNDS AND IMPROVE HEALTHCARE FOR MOTHERS NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2024 – ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action) has launched Ode to Strangers, an inspirational storytelling campaign that highlights the crisis of maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and builds support for ALIMA’s health programs for […]
In the Shadow of Childbirth: The Silent Ravages of Obstetric Fistula in Cameroon’s Far North
In the Far North of Cameroon, obstetric fistula plunges thousands of women into devastating silence and stigmatization. Thanks to ALIMA and its partners, they benefit from free care and social reintegration. Haouat and Josiane have regained their dignity and hope after years of suffering, thanks to reconstructive surgery.
“We have trained 38 traditional birth attendants to identify and monitor high-risk pregnancies” – Dr Jérémie Hien on RFI
The Central African Republic ranks 188th out of 189 countries in terms of human development and has the highest infant mortality rate in the world. With only 6 doctors per 100,000 inhabitants, far below the WHO-recommended 230, the country is faced with a critical health situation. To address this, ALIMA launched the Wakobo Ti Kodro project to improve maternal and newborn health. Dr Jérémie Hien, epidemiologist and ALIMA’s head of research, presented the project on RFI’s “Priorité Santé” programme on Thursday 20 June.
Innovative Mobile Ultrasound Scanner Saving Lives of Pregnant Women in Remote Guinea (video)
It’s truly a relief. The arrival of mobile ultrasound scanners in several health centers in the Telimele prefecture, located northwest of Guinea’s capital Conakry, has been revolutionary for many families. Previously inaccessible to most women in the area until mid-2023, ultrasound is now becoming more widely available and drawing women to health facilities throughout their pregnancies.
Women in Cameroon Travel Miles to Secure Healthcare Access for Their Communities
Access to healthcare is a challenge in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West (NWSW) anglophone regions, which have been in conflict since 2017. Insecurity, inadequate health facilities, and the great distances between villages and medical centers are obstacles for communities to access quality care. In this difficult context, women, known as community relays, tirelessly travel kilometers every day with a single goal: to raise awareness in their communities about the vital healthcare services provided by ALIMA and its local partner DEMTOU Humanitaire since 2020.
Video Report: Traditional Birth Attendants Saving Lives With a Mobile App
In the Central African Republic, a new project is transforming maternal care by involving matrons, traditional birth attendants, in the management of high-risk pregnancies. The project, called “Wakobo Ti Kodro,” uses an innovative mobile app to improve maternal and child health in a region with some of the highest mortality rates in the world.
Fighting against the silent death of women in childbirth in Guinea
In the coastal West African country of Guinea, pregnant women are often poorly monitored, and left to cope on their own. In 2014, a major Ebola outbreak weakened health systems; this impacted the care pregnant women received. Meet Oussaïna, she is currently 36 weeks pregnant and is from Sinta, a town in west Guinea.
“Insecurity fosters gender-based violence”
The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world. The security situation remains tense, and humanitarian needs continue to grow: “citizens have insufficient access to basic services, (…) gender-based violence (GBV) is widespread,” ¹ according to the World Bank. Meet Gypsie Christelle Nambozouina, 30, a clinical psychologist at the Castors maternity hospital in Bangui.
NIGERIA “Health centers save our lives”
In Nigeria, ALIMA provides care for people displaced by conflict.
In Nigeria, the continuing armed conflict, particularly in the northeastern part of the country, has contributed significantly to the deterioration of the country’s humanitarian situation. In the Northeastern Borno State, there are over 1.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs)* and in Maiduguri, the state capital, 382,876 IDPs have been registered. The majority, some 273,159 of the displaced, are in formal camps, while another 109,717 are in informal camps.** Access to food, water, health care, or sanitation is limited.
Testimony from the field: 3 questions for Mireille, a midwife in CAR
The Central African Republic (CAR) suffers from one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with 890 deaths per 100,000 births. The success of field programs depends above all on the team, who are there on the ground, and who, each day, try to make a difference. Midwives play an especially important role in reducing maternal mortality, by helping women to safely deliver their babies.
Mireille, a 33-year-old midwife from CAR, who has been working with ALIMA since April 2017 as a midwife supervisor in the southwestern city of Bimbo, says her work, along with her four sons, is her greatest pride.
