Giving Hope to Mothers and Babies

October 2015

Infant mortality rates reach up to 40 percent in some areas of Africa. Each year approximately 289,000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth, with 27 percent of all maternal deaths being a result of postpartum bleeding. These high death rates are often due to the lack of medical knowledge within a community.

In 2014 donations to Humanitarian Services (also known as LDS Charities) served more than 32,000 people in 42 countries by providing practical training, technology, and materials for neonatal resuscitation. As a result newborn death rates were significantly reduced. In addition, donor funds help provide midwives, nurses, and physicians with the skills needed to help reduce maternal mortality.