{"id":8242,"date":"2024-07-17T14:31:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T14:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cordaid.org\/en\/?p=8242"},"modified":"2024-07-18T11:55:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T11:55:00","slug":"the-walk-poor-access-maternal-health-care-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cordaid.org\/en\/news\/the-walk-poor-access-maternal-health-care-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"A ten-hour walk for a medical check: poor access to health centres threatens the lives of pregnant women"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Travelling 54 kilometres by foot for a pregnancy check. Unthinkable? Unfortunately, this is the reality for millions of women in the world’s most fragile areas. They can’t access essential healthcare services, with life-threatening consequences. In many cases, the distance to health facilities is the biggest challenge. The good news is that there are ways to solve this problem.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chanceline on her five-hour journey by foot to the health facility. Image: still from ‘The Walk’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chanceline softly sings a traditional song from her region as she prepares for the long journey. It is the rainy season, so besides food and water, she adds an umbrella and some dry clothes to her inventory. She waves goodbye to her husband and two young children and steps outside the house, onto a path of red sand meandering through endless, bright green hills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chanceline isn’t travelling for work or embarking on a fun, relaxing weekend trip; today she’s undertaking a ten-hour journey there and back for a medical check-up that will last just a few minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

26-year-old Chanceline lives in the region south of Lake Kivu, which forms the natural border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She is due in two months and wants to visit a doctor to make sure her baby is healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chanceline’s route to the health facility. Image: still from ‘The Walk’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, the nearest health centre is 27 kilometres away; a journey over steep, muddy roads, even difficult for motorised vehicles to access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few countries in the world are as vast and full of inhospitable landscapes as the DR Congo. And people live in all the remote corners of this immense country in the heart of the African continent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facts and figures maternal health in Africa<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Results & Indicators<\/h2>\n\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEvery 2 minutes <\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ta woman dies from complications during pregnancy or childbirth (WHO – 2024)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t531<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmothers die per 100,000 births (WHO – 2024)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t69% <\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof global maternal deaths occur in Africa (WHO – 2024)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t20.3%<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trequired yearly decrease of maternal deaths to achieve the target of the UN by 2030 (WHO – 2024)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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    Conflict, poverty and drought <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Despite their admirable self-reliance, Congolese people regularly face major crises that are impossible for anyone to cope with. For instance, a violent conflict in the east of the country has been threatening the lives of millions for decades, the majority of the population is living in extreme poverty and climate change is increasingly endangering food security.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    ‘On the day of my daughter Anne’s birth, there were serious complications.’ <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    In the DR Congo, life for women in general – and pregnant women in particular – can entail additional threats. Sexual violence is commonplace in conflict areas and a pregnancy can pose great risks due to a lack of good health care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ‘Life in our village is hard,’ says Chanceline. ‘Especially if you don’t have enough resources. You don’t want to live here if you are sick. It would be good if everyone had access to healthcare.’ <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This was nine years ago…. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Walk <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Chanceline’s quote comes from a trailer for The Walk, a 2015 film billed as ‘The most boring video ever’. The camera follows Chanceline for five hours during her entire journey to the nearest clinic. The film was part of Cordaid’s awareness campaign about the dire situation of people who need care but cannot get it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Need to unwind from a stressful day? Watch The Walk and travel for five hours with Chanceline to the health facility.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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