The Democratic Republic of Congo tops the list of maternal mortality rates in the world, with 473 deaths per 100,000 births.
Maternal mortality is due to several factors, such as the lack of care and trained midwives, which in addition to maternal mortality also leads to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Complications that often lead to social and economic difficulties. Maternal mortality is also due to unwanted pregnancies, which are common in Congo, as access to contraception is inadequate and often completely non-existent. The right to abortion is regulated and was prohibited until April 2018. It is now legally possible to terminate a pregnancy for women who have become pregnant as a result of sexual violence or if there is a risk to the woman's health. The regulation, culture, religion and the low status of women lead to many women turning to the illegal abortion market with insufficient medical knowledge, medical equipment and where hygienic conditions are poor.
9 out of 10 deaths can be prevented with better prenatal care, trained midwives, contraceptive counseling, family planning and the right to safe abortions.
The founders of Rutasoka built a women's clinic in Congo in 2017 with the goal of giving every child a safe start in life and every woman a safe pregnancy and childbirth. At Rutasoka Clinic, women are offered regular check-ups with a midwife in order to detect any problems in good time, such as high blood pressure/preeclampsia, infections, or that the baby is in the wrong position in the womb. The staff encourages women to arrive on time to be able to monitor the development of the pregnancy. The staff at the clinic also offers contraceptive advice and family planning to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Together we reduce maternal mortality in eastern Congo.
This year, the doctors & midwives at Rutasoka Clinic have delivered 529 mothers and no mother has lost her life in connection with her pregnancy or childbirth.
If you want to read more about maternal mortality in the world, you can find information here:
https://www.rfsu.se/vad-vi-gor/nara-dig/barnvagnsmarschen/stoppa-modradodligheten/
By buying coffee from us at Rutasoka, you contribute to safe childbirths as we at Rutasoka reinvest part of our turnover in being able to offer families maternity care and healthcare in eastern Congo.
