Birth Should Be About Life ~ mothers2mothers

When I was a child I remember saying to my parents that I was really lucky to have been born where I was and not in Africa. I don't think they really understood, they thought I was just saying one of those things children say that doesn't make sense to adults, but I've never forgotten it.

I was referring to famine and starvation at the time, and as I've grown and had my own 5 children I am even more grateful for them that we haven't ever had to struggle to eat.

Sub-Saharan Africa has another problem affecting young children, and that's paediatric HIV. In the global North transmission from mother to child is virtually unheard of because it's entirely preventable, but in Sub-Saharan Africa HIV positive Mothers are stigmatised and ostracised and left to try and cope alone. The result is that 600 babies every day are needlessly infected with HIV.  A little education and support is what makes all the difference...

The maternal health charity mothers2mothers have already reached out to over 1 million pregnant women and their babies are HIV negative. Birth should be about life, it's something most of us can take for granted, it'd be so much better if they could too.

Find out more about the work of mothers2mothers on their website and join in the conversation on Twitter by following the hashtag #PreventBabyHIV

Sunday December 1st is World Aids Day. Prevention and education is better than hoping for a cure.