The only hospital in the country using foetal safety software has seen baby fatalities drop by 82% in three years
When Ellen Kaphamtengo felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen, she thought she might be in labour. It was the ninth month of her first pregnancy and she wasn’t taking any chances. With the help of her mother, the 18-year-old climbed on to a motorcycle taxi and rushed to a hospital in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, a 20-minute ride away.
At the Area 25 health centre, they told her it was a false alarm and took her to the maternity ward. But things escalated quickly when a routine ultrasound revealed that her baby was much smaller than expected for her pregnancy stage, which can cause asphyxia – a condition that limits blood flow and oxygen to the baby.
About Author
More Stories
Esports are booming in Africa – but can its infrastructure keep pace?
‘Security through obscurity’: the Swedish cabin on the frontline of a possible hybrid war
Man who falsely claimed to be bitcoin creator sentenced for continuing to sue developers