In a country that already had the highest maternal mortality rate in the northern hemisphere, an estimated 63,000 pregnant women were affected by the earthquake in Haiti. The New York based United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has spearheaded efforts to help minimize the risks faced by women giving birth or seeking prenatal care in the earthquake-ravaged region.  UNFPA is distributing delivery kits -- including clean cloths, sterile blades and plastic sheets -- to pregnant women to facilitate safe births in the absence of medical facilities. The agency also is distributing  “dignity kits,” which include sanitary napkins, moist towelettes, and fresh underwear for menstruating women. 

The earthquake was disastrous for the health care system in Haiti. Many hospitals and clinics in the capital were damaged or destroyed, and the ones still operating cannot handle the volume of those seeking treatment.  Some doctors have reported doing Caesarean sections and deliveries on park benches because no other facilities were available. Medical supplies remain scarce, despite substantial international relief efforts.

It is not known how many people in the Haitian Ministry of Health survived the earthquake, which will seriously impair future efforts to rebuild the public health system.  For example, when the earthquake hit, the Ministry of Women was meeting with 20 development partners who work with the UNFPA – tragically, almost all in the meeting were killed.

For more details, read the full report by Rebecca Harshbarger of Women’s E-news at http://www.womensenews.org or via this link: http://www.womensradio.com/articles/-Haiti-Quake-Puts-63,000-Pregnant-Women-at-Risk/4365.html.