AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - In Mozambique between 800 and 1,000 out of every 100,000 mothers die giving birth to their child. Doctors with Africa CUAMM launch new campaign

Rome (Fides Service) - To promote more justice with regard to access to medical care in the countries where its doctors are working the Italian organisation CUAMM Doctors with Africa is launching a new campaign.
CUAMM says that 70% of Mozambicans have no real access to medical care because of three basic reasons: physical: no means of getting to hospital, and if the hospital is more than 20 km away they get there either too ill or dead; economic: medical care costs and they cannot afford it; cultural medical care offered does not always fit the local culture. To improve the situation CUAMM is training local personnel, nurses, doctors, midwives as they are needed.
Other CUAMM goals include reducing infant mortality rate, improving health of pregnant mothers, fighting AIDS and other endemic diseases. In Mozambico every 100,000 deliveries between 800 and 1,000 mothers die. In Tanzania every 200 deliveries one mother dies and one out of 8 children dies before the age of 5. In Africa only one out of every 10 HIV+ positive persons has access to anti-retroviral drugs while in developed countries the number of HIV+ patients receiving treatment has tripled since 2001. (AP) (15/2/2006 Agenzia Fides; Righe:20; Parole:247)