In the village of Mafam, Guinea-Bissau, Adama Djau faced a two-hour journey on poor roads to reach a hospital. Pregnant with twins and experiencing a high-risk pregnancy, the 21-year-old sought care at Casa das Mães, a facility for at-risk pregnant women.
Adama adjusted well to the home and expressed confidence in her pregnancy's outcome due to access to medication, medical care, and nutritious meals. "At Casa das Mães, I became confident that my pregnancy would go well," she said.
Guinea-Bissau has one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates globally. In 2022, supported by World Bank statistics indicated 549 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. This number was higher in rural areas but showed progress from 746 per 100,000 in 2018.
The country faces a shortage of health professionals with one doctor per 16,382 people and each healthcare facility serving over 15,000 individuals.
The World Bank is implementing a $25 million project titled "Strengthening the Provision of Maternal and Child Health Services in Guinea-Bissau." It has provided prenatal care to over 84,000 women and vaccinated more than one million children. Over 2,000 healthcare professionals have been trained under this initiative.
In Gabú and Bafatá regions where maternal mortality rates are high and healthcare access is limited Flávio da Silva Nhaga noted improvements: “This project greatly benefits the Gabú region by helping reduce the high maternal mortality rate.”
The World Bank supports homes accommodating at-risk pregnant women ensuring access to healthcare medication and meals. The Gabú Mothers' Home established in 1994 relies on donations but now receives essential support from the World Bank for maintenance meals and medication. Sister Florinda highlighted this assistance as transformative: “Previously Caritas struggled...The World Bank's help ensures mothers receive vital medical care..."
Gina da Costa spent eight months at Casa das Mães after previous losses stating: “My pregnancy went well this time because I was accompanied..."
Bafatá's Casa das Mães operates at full capacity with waiting lists according to manager Maria Gomes Mbunde who notes they conduct health screenings across over 1,000 villages.
Mama Saliu emphasized raising awareness about pregnancy risks saying: “We inform women about pregnancy risks..."
Over her ten years working there Mama Saliu witnessed many successful pregnancies including a woman who delivered after seven miscarriages thanks to close monitoring.
Maria Pedro Mbunde shared another success story involving teamwork leading to safe delivery for an abandoned woman facing severe health complications describing it as their daily mission.
Through its project the World Bank has accommodated over 2,500 women facilitated more than 113 thousand births assisted by qualified personnel alongside vaccination programs anti-malaria treatments training for health professionals focusing on maternal child health.