A Mother’s Life Saved in India

April 11, 2007—Ramsakhi, a 30-year old mother of three, is alive today because of the safe motherhood movement in India.

Throughout the country, close to 200 women a day die of mostly preventable, maternity-related deaths. India has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world.

But Ramaskhi was one of the lucky ones.

She and her family thought that she would give birth at home, as she did with her first three children. (Up to 60 percent of children are delivered at home in India.)

But there were complications. Ramashkhi began bleeding internally due to obstructed labor that ruptured her uterus.

Her family brought her to the local community health center where her condition was diagnosed as critical. The doctor there called the Janani Suraksha (Maternal Protection) Helpline, which arranged immediate transportation to the district hospital.

Tragically, Ramaskhi lost her baby. But, thanks to the work of the doctors and safe motherhood programs such as the Janani Suraksha Helpline, Ramaskhi lived to raise her three other children. She was lucky enough to get access to medical treatment and programs that could save her life. This is not the case for many women in India.

CEDPA/India and the White Ribbon Alliance (WRAI) work in conjunction with other organizations to advance safe motherhood programs. They also raise awareness among women and families about available services, and rally champions for the cause.

The White Ribbon Alliance improves media coverage by bringing journalists together with families affected by safe motherhood issues.

CEDPA and the White Ribbon Alliance also have worked together to increase media coverage of safe motherhood.

With support from UNICEF, 15 Indian journalists participated in a recent National Media Workshop on Maternal Mortality, organized by CEDPA and the Alliance. The journalists learned facts about maternal health and met with families to hear stories similar to Ramaskhi’s, giving them a better understanding of how safe motherhood programs can save lives.

To commemorate Safe Motherhood Day, CEDPA/India and the WRAI organized an urban community outreach event with maternal, child, and general health screenings. They shared information on programs for pregnant women and testimonials from community representatives about maternal health issues.

Events such as the media workshop and the Safe Motherhood Day celebration help to inform the public about the importance of safe motherhood and the steps that pregnant women and their families can take to improve the health of mothers and their children.

Learn more about CEDPA’s work in India and download a safe motherhood kit for the media.

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