AFGHANISTAN: High birth rate killing mothers, infants - UNFPA expert
Afghanistan has the highest fertility rate in Asia - 6.7 - which not only means the deaths of thousands of young mothers and infants every year but also poses long-term challenges, an expert of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned. 15 Jul 2008 08:23

BURKINA FASO: Muslim leaders agree to promote family planning
On the eve of World Population Day, Muslim leaders agreed to promote family planning among their followers at a meeting of the country's principal Islamic organisations in the capital's main mosque. 12 Jul 2008 12:44

Malawi still grappling with high maternal mortality
[Gregory Gondwe] At 807 deaths per 100,000 live births, Malawi's maternal mortality remains one of the highest in the world. This was revealed last Thursday in Lilongwe, when the Malawi government in collaboration with UNICEF launched the Malawi Multiple Indicator Cluster (MICS) 2006 survey. 9 Jul 2008 16:19

Older men cause problem pregnancies
Fertility rates fall and miscarriage increases when the father is over 35. 7 Jul 2008 11:37

Women in the developing world are not getting cervical screening
A study published in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine has found that women in the developing world are not getting the cervical cancer screenings that they need. 17 Jun 2008 14:45

BANGLADESH: 21 000 women die annually in childbirth
Nasima Begum is all too aware of the risks of childbirth in Bangladesh. At only 18, she has already lost two babies. 16 Jun 2008 11:54

Pregnant? Who? Me? A bee?
Woman dressed as bumblebee gives birth without realising she was pregnant. 10 Jun 2008 07:32

Liberia: Living with fistula
Of 600 rape victims recently interviewed by a Liberian non-governmental organisation, 90 percent of the women were found to be suffering from fistulas - a vaginal tear which results in loss of bladder control and social stigmatisation. 16 May 2008 07:21

New data reveals impact of deadly human papillomavirus in Latin America, Caribbean
Thirty-three thousand women in Latin America and the Caribbean die each year of preventable cervical cancer, caused by a virus that infects 20% of men and women in the region and as many as 30% of the youngest women, according to a new study. 14 May 2008 09:59

Mothers' Day: Protecting tomorrow's mothers
This Mothers' Day, you can give your daughter what your mother could not give you: help in preventing South Africa's most common female cancer: cervical cancer. 9 May 2008 09:39

A failure in critical health care
World's health leaders and parliamentarians convene to seek accelerated action to reduce maternal and child deaths; critical health care fails to reach most women and children in high-mortality countries. 17 Apr 2008 08:18

Somalia: Raising awareness against FGM in Puntland
Halima [not her real name], a mother of five girls, shudders whenever she remembers how she suffered after undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM/Cutting), a practice still widespread in Somalia. 9 Apr 2008 05:37

New test could cut unnecessary treatment for blood disorder in pregnancy
A new test for identifying a mismatch between the blood of a pregnant woman and her baby is accurate, feasible, and could substantially reduce unnecessary treatment, finds a study published on bmj.com. 7 Apr 2008 06:32