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Expecting…to Live

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Many of the perils of childbirth have diminished to rarities in developed countries.  Mothers in developing countries, on the other hand, regularly experience the dangers of childbirth and even prenatal care.  The USAID program Saving Mothers Giving Life (SMGL) is trying to change that reality, starting in Zambia.  The program provides travel vouchers to expecting mothers so they can reach maternal and prenatal care quickly.  Without a travel voucher, a pregnant woman in rural Zambia may face a 5 hour walk to the nearest healthcare facility.  Obstacles such as timely care in emergencies influence the increasing maternal mortality rate of Zambia.  Where SMGL’s voucher program operates, however, maternal mortality decreased by 35%.  That is only the beginning.

(Map of Zambia from Wikicommons)

Read more at The Christian Science Monitor: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2014/0109/How-a-simple-travel-voucher-is-saving-the-lives-of-pregnant-African-women

Kristen E. Strubberg is the Editor-in-Chief for TGNR. Kristen founded TGNR in 2013 - seeking to create a high quality platform for original, eclectic and substantive positive news journalism by attracting expert contributors in many varying subjects. Kristen also works as a clinical medical researcher in Cardiology, with an original background in Neuroscience. Her passion for science has translated to her science-fiction specialization, with her highly adept published insights into the best of sci-fi’s popular culture. Kristen has served as TGNR’s Editor-in-Chief since 2013.

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