1 in 7 Pregnant Women In West Africa Risk Dying In Childbirth, Charities Say

News outlets report on assertions from the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) that one in seven pregnant women in Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa could die due to overwhelmed hospitals and health workers’ fear of contracting the disease.

The Guardian: One in seven pregnant women could die in Ebola-hit countries, say charities
“One in seven women in countries hit by the Ebola epidemic could die in pregnancy or childbirth because hospital services are overwhelmed, say charities…” (Boseley, 11/10).

International Business Times: Ebola Could Kill One in Seven Pregnant Women in Affected Countries
“…Charities forming the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) have warned that hospitals in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, which already had some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, are overwhelmed, with pregnant women being left to give birth without proper medical care…” (Bermingham, 11/11).

Reuters: One in seven women risk dying in childbirth in Ebola-hit countries
“The rate of women dying in childbirth in West African countries hit by the Ebola epidemic is soaring, with as many as one in seven at risk of death as fear of contact with bodily fluids prevents people helping them, aid charities warned on Tuesday…” (Kelland, 11/10).

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