The maternal mortality rate in Mali is nearly 73 times higher than the rate in the USA.Only one in four expecting mothers receives prenatal care or assistance with their delivery, and pregnant mothers often have no help when complications arise. One of the reasons for Mali's high maternal mortality rate is that many women do not know when they are experiencing a complicated pregnancy. The ultrasound technology we take for granted in the United States is simply not available to women in Mali.
Medical Teams International are piloting a rural ultrasound training project with our partner, CPAM, to meet this need. Dr. William Marks and Lydia Zibin will teach clinic physicians and head nurses at six rural health clinics to detect potentially problematic pregnancies using a portable ultrasound machine.
This project aims to reduce maternal and child deaths by 20% in the region where we're working. As the success of this program is established, our work will be used as a model for additional rural ultrasound projects in Mali and other African countries.
Medical Teams International would like to thank SonoSite for generously donating six re-manufactured portable ultrasound machines and accessories. Without their assistance and the generosity fo other donors and volunteers, this project would not be possible.
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