The Follereau Foundation Luxembourg (FFL) is promoting maternal and child health, and women’s health in general ahead of the Day of Action for Women’s Health, held this Thursday, 28 May.

The initiative was created during the fifth International Meeting on Women’s Health, held in Costa Rica in 1987, and is an opportunity to look back and take stock of the progress made in this area, although it is undeniable that there is a long way to go yet, for all women to have access to quality healthcare.

FFL, active on the African continent since 1966, has been drawn to the cause due to the sheer number of avoidable tragic deaths and diseases occurring among women there.

The story of Aïssata, a fifteen-year-old, mother of two, from Mali illustrates the point perfectly, as she was ostracised by her community and received no medical care throughout her pregnancy. At the time of her delivery, at home, her family refused to take her to the health centre. Following three days of suffering, attempting to give birth, she became incontinent and the baby did not survive.

This case is unfortunately, not an isolated one in Mali, nor in West Africa for that matter. In fact, whereas in the developed world, one woman in around 5,000 runs the risk of dying from complications during pregnancy, in Africa, that risk is elevated by about 120 women on average.

In order to put an end to this affliction, it is necessary to guarantee access to universal, quality healthcare coverage. To achieve this, all efforts are needed to make treatment affordable financially and geographically accessible, with specialised, trained health personnel available, overcoming social barriers and other impeding factors.

Universal health is dependent on each person’s commitment to end persistent inequality in access to healthcare. Mahmoud Fathalla, Chair of the WHO’s Advisory Committee on Health Research, condemned the situation, saying that women aren’t dying from diseases that we cannot treat or do not have the cure for, but instead are dying because society has not yet decided that their lives are worthy of being saved.

With the Day of Action for Women’s Health coming up, it is the perfect time to raise awareness and decide to act for this part of humanity to finally enjoy their rights.

Photo by Thierry Winn