More women will survive the birth of their children in sub-Saharan Africa because of a new initiative launched by AMREF, the African Medical & Research Foundation.  Called Stand Up for African Mothers, AMREF will dispatch and train 15,000 midwives by 2015 primarily in Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan, Angola, and Mozambique. Other countries in east, west and South Africa will also receive AMREF-trained midwives. AMREF has provided midwife training in Africa for over 50 years.

Today over 200,000 women die in childbirth every year in sub-Saharan Africa marking a clear indication that the 2015 Millennium Development Goal 5a (to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters) may not be met. Sub-Saharan Africa sees the highest number of maternal deaths in the world.

"African women are at the center of the social and economic development chain. The death of a mother while giving birth is a big setback for African society. By training more midwives, AMREF is helping deliver an immediate, sustainable solution to reducing maternal mortality in Africa," says Dr. Teguest Guerma, Director General, AMREF.

According to AMREF one midwife can care for 500 women and deliver 100 babies. By 2015 15,000 midwives will effectively care for seven million African women each year. Due to the scale of the program Stand Up for African Mothers has the potential to significantly reduce maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, this continent-wide effort is estimated to reduce African maternal mortality by 25 percent according to AMREF.

Using mobile technology and classroom training the Stand Up for African Mothers midwives will be taught to provide proper care to women who experience excessive bleeding during childbirth. They will also give pre- and post-natal care for expectant mothers and teach women how to prevent malaria during pregnanc, as well as teach HIV/AIDS prevention.

Visit www.standupforafricanmothers.com to learn more. You can also get involved and help save mothers’ lives by supporting a midwife.