Reducing maternal mortality in sub–Saharan Africa: the role of ethical consumerism

摘要

Between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio for sub–Saharan Africa as a whole fell by roughly 45 percent [1]. Unfortunately, this decline has not been uniformly distributed across the region. A number of countries have shown little or no progress and continue to experience mortality rates that rank among the highest in the world. In countries such as Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Chad, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a significant impediment to progress has been the decimation of health infrastructure by protracted regional and civil armed conflicts. During times of conflict, there is also increasing evidence of violence being directed specifically against pregnant women [2]. The 1990s saw the emergence of warfare in Africa as a means of accumulating wealth and power [3]. In–depth analyses by the United Nations and others have identified competition among various groups for the illegal expropriation and sale of the region’s vast natural resources, as both an underlying cause of conflict and also as a catalyst for ongoing conflict [4]. It has been estimated that Maternal Mortality rates are at least 30% higher in sub–Saharan African countries that have experienced recent conflict than in those which are conflict free [5]. Addressing the underlying issues relating to the protracted cycles of conflict is therefore an essential precursor to developing an environment in which interventions to address maternal mortality, or indeed any other health issue, can be implemented.