10:33 A
Tuesday 28 September 2021
Maternal mortality prevalence is still high in Sudan. Every day, approximately 42 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Most of the complications developed during and following pregnancy and childbirth are preventable or treatable if managed as part of the woman’s care.
In West Darfur, most of newborn (neonatal) deaths occur due to infection, asphyxia (Lack of oxygen in the body) and preterm birth. The vast majority of these deaths occur in low-resource settings and remote areas in Sudan.
Khadija Adam (Dodowa), 55-years-old, lives in El Geneina in West Darfur. She graduated from El Fashir Midwifery school in 1975 and today she works as a certified community midwife with 40 years of experience.
Dodowa found her passion in midwifery since she was 12-years-old, as she was the only girl who went to school alongside other boys in her community. There, she started to learn more about healthcare and nutrition.
My passion for this job started when I was young, I used to see how women suffer from pregnancy and labour and the complications that lead to the deaths of many women in my community
One day, Dodowa met with a senior health worker where she was able to share her knowledge and experience. The health worker was very impressed by her dedication and hard work and he immediately recommended to provide her with the advanced trainings.
After six months, Dodowa was awarded the second highest degree and was officially announced as a certified midwife. She was the youngest midwife in her community.
Dodowa is known for her kindness, transparency, and professionalism.
I’m so happy with my work, I’m saving the lives of many women and babies in my community and this is what motivates me the most. It is our role to support the community since we are the ones who received education while they were not able to learn and it’s our responsibility to raise awareness.
We do not work only to get money, we work to give women and their children a chance to live and grow healthy
With the generous support from the people and Government of China, UNICEF will continue to support building capacity of the maternal and newborn health service providers (e.g. Medical Doctors, Midwives), provide essential supplies, raise awareness of local communities and strengthen the health system in Sudan.
unicef Sudan
