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Ending obstetric fistula: Devastating and preventable childbirth injury continues to haunt women
Tanzania, United Republic of
Despite her best efforts, the delivery went worse than she could have imagined. Ms. Yakobo ended up with an obstetric fistula – one of the most serious and tragic injuries that can occur during childbirth.
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5 ways female genital mutilation undermines the health of women and girls
Girls and women who undergo FGM face a range of serious health risks – from potentially fatal bleeding to childbirth complications to long-term psychological problems.
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A long road to safety, healing for refugee mothers in Iraq
Iraq
"I felt the world just stopped and the few minutes that passed felt like an eternity. I couldn’t feel my heart beating anymore and broke into heaving sobs."
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Safe pregnancies for displaced mothers as mobile clinics reach deep into Kachin camps
Myanmar
Anenatal checkups provided by mobile clinics are saving lives of mothers and babies among displaced people in Myanmar.
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In China, women work to raise the status of girls
China
“Must a girl be of lesser value than a boy?" Wen Xiujuan asked, after having two daughters.
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Reaching pregnant women at risk from conflict in Maguindanao, Philippines
Philippines
Up to 1,400 pregnant women, 500 of whom are expected to deliver in the next three months, are among the displaced by the fighting.
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No mountain too high: Midwives protect women, save lives
Afghanistan
Midwives serve in some of the most remote health posts in the world, saving the lives of women and babies in settings that are often harsh and resource-poor.
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Just like your mother? Seven ways motherhood has changed (or not) in the last 25 years
In 1994, the world was transforming. Motherhood would never been quite the same.
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Meet the woman protecting women in Yemen
Yemen
A survivor of child marriage now runs Yemen's first-ever security business for women.
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Joint operation rescues hundreds from Cyclone Kenneth in Mozambique
Mozambique
Kenneth has affected more than 168,000 people in Mozambique, including 7,000 pregnant women at risk of unsafe childbirth.
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Caught in the crossfire: Urgent needs in north-east Syria
Syrian Arab Republic
"I have never seen before in my life what I saw in the camp,” Dr. Yasser Joha told UNFPA from Al-Hol, a camp in north-eastern Syria. "I took out around 160 pieces of shrapnel from the bodies of women and…
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With coffee ceremony and midwives, mums get a happy start in rural Ethiopia
Ethiopia
When Fikre Molla was preparing to have her baby, she wanted the childbirth traditions she had grown up with, but the safety of professional care in a proper health facility. Yet she lived in Ethiopia’s rural Amhara…
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