During times of crisis, many women are unable to access maternal health services due to insecurity. Some are forced to flee their homes due to conflict and are not able to access a health facility. For many of them, this lack of access to health facilities or any form of assistance, is a matter of life and death for them and their children.
The conflict and fragility of South Sudan has led to the deaths of many women from preventable pregnancy and delivery complications. Even though the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births has reduced from 2,054 in 2006 to 789 in 2015 according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the situation is still severe.
To contribute to reducing maternal and child mortality, researchers supported by the Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa (IMCHA) initiative are looking at community-centered approaches to enhance the linkage between communities and health facilities in fragile contexts and thereby increase the utilization of maternal health services. Read about the maternal health services provided by two health facilities working with the researchers supported by the IMCHA initiative in Torit, Imotong State.