An article published today by the New York Times reports that, according to a study published in PLOS Medicine, a large number of women globally experience some form of mistreatment in health facilities during childbirth. New and expecting mothers reportedly encounter a variety of types of poor treatment during their tenure in health care facilities, including physical, verbal and sexual abuse, neglect, poor quality services, discrimination, and violations of privacy and respect. In compiling data from over 34 countries, the report highlights the astonishing prevalence of maternal mistreatment in far too many countries.
An HIV-positive mom brings her healthy, HIV-free baby to a checkup at HTH’s main Kara clinic.
The implications of this study are profound. With more than 300,000 women dying annually during or after childbirth, it’s imperative that health care facilities are respectful and obliging in their services because many mothers will avoid health care professionals and facilities completely if they fear being abused and this means more at-home births – and deaths from easily preventable complications.
These findings in this article resonate very strongly with Hope Through Health. Our own patients have reported astonishing treatment at public health clinics – from discrimination and disregard from the staff to a lack of professionalism or adherence to basic standards of care. In our work with HIV-positive patients, our goal is to extend effective and respectful treatment to new and expecting mothers and prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus. We work to combat the stigma and mistreatment faced by a mother during her pregnancy, which is often amplified if she is living with HIV. Hope Through Health supports the mission of providing proper maternal health care and is excited to be expanding our services to care for more mothers and their children in Togo.
Read the article on the New York Times website here.