MOZAMBIQUE / MATERNAL MORTALITY

Mozambique has made remarkable strides in recovering from two decades of civil war. But not everyone is able to participate in the country’s new opportunities.

Fifteen-year-old Ilse Guambe, married off at the age of thirteen, was unable to finish school and her life was about to change irrevocably.

SOUNDBITE (Portugese) Ilse Guambe, 15-years-old, child bride:
"After my baby was born, my parents sent me to live at my boyfriend’s parents place – I was insulted by his parents, I wasn’t welcome at all.”

In Mozambique, more than half of all young girls are married before the age of 18, one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. And not every adolescent girl or woman gets the chance to safely deliver their babies.

Almost 500 women and young girls out of every 100,000 die during childbirth in Mozambique compared with four in a developed country like Sweden.

Which is why The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, is making a call to accelerate action towards improving the health of women around the world. Something that Mandy Kibel, Media Advisor at UNFPA, says is possible.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mandy Kibel, UNFPA Media Advisor, The United Nation’s Population Fund:
“These deaths can be avoided. By making sure that women and girls have access to family planning and quality affordable health supplies, we can ensure that they can reach their full potential and contribute to society.”

But not every girl manages to escape such a situation like Ilse, who was able to move back in with her family where her mother helps her care for her baby.

Essita Mulhanga of Mozambique is a 16-year-old suffering from a fistula that occurred during a prolonged, obstructed labor that puts both the mother and child at risk.

A fistula is a devastating injury that can occur during childbirth when medical services are not available.

Prolonged, obstructed labor can lead to a hole, or fistula, in the birth canal causing a leaking of urine and/or feces.

SOUNDBITE (Dialect of Shona) Essita Mulhanga, 16-years-old, fistula sufferer:
“I had to deliver at home. My husband was not at home to help me. After delivering, this problem of being unable to control my urine started.”

It is estimated that two to three million women and girls the developing world still suffer from fistula. And that tragically, more than 50,000 new cases develop each year.

While obstetric fistula has been virtually eliminated in industrialized nations, its victims are often amongst the poorest and hardest to reach, frequently with limited access to proper health care.

This is something Kibel believes speaks to more than just what medical treatments are at their disposal.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mandy Kibel, UNFPA Media Advisor, The United Nation’s Population Fund:
“That is unacceptable in today’s world. It also speaks, in large extent, to the value, or the lack of value, that we place on women and girls in our society and to the lack of investment in women and girls. We need to redouble our efforts to make sure that woman and girls are placed at the very center of our development agenda. We know what needs to be done. We know where it needs to be done. And it’s just a question of will. We need to make a decision as a society, as the international community, as humanity, that women and girls are worth saving.”

And this can help prevent other women from going through what Essitia has or perhaps even worse.

So while specialized surgery may be able to repair most fistulas, sometimes, more than one operation may be required to do so. As is the case with Essitia, who will undergo surgery again to help her recover and help her towards a brighter future.

SOUNDBITE (Dialect of Shona), Essitia:
“After treatment I would like to have kids, and would like to see them studying to become doctors or teachers.”