LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When he worked as a nurse in his native South Sudan, Joseph Deng saw many women suffering in pregnancy and childbirth, inspiring him to retrain as a midwife to help cut the number of maternal deaths, one of the highest in the world.High levels of insecurity after South Sudan slipped into civil war in 2013 and escalating fighting since last year have made conditions even more challenging in the impoverished country.Millions face hunger, and an estimated 3.5 million have fled their homes - 2 million of them children, according to the United Nations. The U.N. said this month staff working in South Sudan's health centers and schools have been forcibly recruited by armed groups, causing facilities to close."It's a very challenging situation for the mothers and for us, the midwives, ... people are being displaced all the time," Deng, 31, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Toronto where he attended an international midwifery conference.South Sudan has about 1,700 deaths per 100,000 live births, above the regional average for sub-Saharan Africa of just under 1,000, according to World Bank data. Most of these deaths would have been prevented if the country had appropriate healthcare for pregnant women and more skilled staff during childbirth, experts say. Babies are at greater risk too, with 25 percent dying from often preventable childhood diseases before they reach their fifth birthday."TWO LIVES IN ONE GO" The number of midwives in South Sudan has risen to more than 400 from an estimated eight when the country became independent in 2011, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).Still, less than 10 percent of women giving birth in South Sudan receive the help they need to give birth safely, according to UNFPA. Midwives can provide the majority of the services needed for newborns and pregnant women, and women cared for by midwives are less likely to have complicated births or go into labor early. Deng said more midwives are needed to be able reach pregnant women in remote areas, so they do not have to walk for hours to get looked after."Sometimes you have one or two midwives in each facility, which makes it impossible for them to go into the community, and (it also) makes it impossible for the mothers to get care on time," said Deng, who works at Kuajok Hospital in the northern Warrap state.UNFPA estimates a shortfall of 350,000 midwives globally, the majority being in the world's poorer countries, which account for most childbirth-related deaths among newborns and mothers.Despite all the hurdles he faces daily in his job, Deng has never looked back."In midwifery, you realize saving two lives in one go is a very unique opportunity...", he said. (Reporting by Astrid Zweynert @azweynert , Editing by Ros Russell.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit news.trust.org[1])
References
- ^ news.trust.org (news.trust.org)
Newer articles:
- Under the radar: South Sudan needs media attention, immediate action - 24/06/2017 23:00
- South Sudan cancels independence day events - 24/06/2017 10:24
- South Sudanese refugees grapple with honoring their dead - 24/06/2017 05:13
- Matthew Fisher: Confronting compassion fatigue in South Sudan as millions flee the country - 23/06/2017 18:44
- Couple honoured for saving Canadian lives during 2013 crisis in South Sudan - 23/06/2017 15:07
Older news items
- 'I buried my smallest child under a bush': starvation and sorrow in South Sudan - 23/06/2017 01:34
- South Sudan must end war, UN chief says on refugee visit - 22/06/2017 11:50
- S.Sudan to lift ban on foreign journalists: media official - 22/06/2017 11:02
- Pope Francis sends aid to a troubled South Sudan - 21/06/2017 20:39
- South Sudan pulled from famine, but not hunger-free yet - 21/06/2017 19:04
Latest news items (all categories):
- The Jieng’s Actions Indicate that they Desire Independence - 08/07/2025 20:42
- Uganda, South Sudan Commit to Strengthening Trade and Bilateral Relations - 08/07/2025 20:06
- South Sudan's president fires army chief after seven months in post - 08/07/2025 20:04
- U.S. entrepreneurs want to tear up the international aid system’s rulebook - 08/07/2025 19:59
- برنامج الأغذية العالمي يسقط مساعدات جوا بجنوب السودان - 08/07/2025 19:47
Random articles (all categories):
- China offers South Sudan $8 billion development funding - CNBC.com - 28/04/2012 18:00
- South Sudan: Former political detainees pin hope on regional efforts to revive peace - 09/10/2017 10:46
- South Sudan economy gets Shs380 trillion budget support - 03/01/2017 15:16
- South Sudan, Malawi sign pact to spur trade - 10/06/2021 12:08
- South Sudan: UN Sanctions Threat Hampers Peace Talks - Govt - 05/03/2015 07:54
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 118842 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22810 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 22665 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 21970 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 19720 times