By surfing the net and thinking about the cycle of poverty, I've found this very interesting article about maternal mortality in Africa, namely Sierra Leone. It is published on the web site of Amnesty International. It's hard to believe that thousands of women bleed to death after giving birth. Most die in their homes. Some die on the way to hospital... In Sierra Leone, less than half of deliveries are attended by a skilled birth attendant and less than one in five are carried out in health facilities.
Personally, I fully agree with the author that the issue of maternal mortality is not only a health care issue. It’s about human rights of women and families living in poverty in Africa. By the way, I truly believe that this is a matter of a reliable transportation in this African country as well. Why should women bleed to death if they can be brought to a medical center? Or can your community have an ambulance which comes to your village when you need it the most? Of course, we know that many countries - and Sierra Leone is one of them - have one hospital for hundreds of small villages and thousands of future mothers. But even if we do not take into consideration poor road conditions I am absolutely sure that a BUV based ambulance can help and can help a lot. If a BUV can save just a few lives, isn't it a step into the right direction? Basic Utility Vehicle is designed for developing countries like Sierra Leone. I do hope that we'll find a partner in this African country to address the issue of maternal mortality. BUVs can save the lives of future moms and babies!
