In Uganda alone, 16 mothers die every day from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. These are not inevitable tragedies. Most of these women could be saved through timely, skilled care for emergencies such as severe bleeding or dangerously high blood pressure. Florence, a 19-year-old first-time mother, is one of the women whose life— and whose baby’s life—was saved.

When her labor began, Florence walked to a rural health center in northern Uganda. The midwife and nurse attending her had been trained through the Safe Passages program. After nearly three hours of pushing, Florence’s baby was born limp, pale, and not breathing. The midwife immediately began resuscitation. Moments later, the baby took her first breath. Within three minutes, her first cry filled the room. But the danger was not over. Florence began to bleed heavily. Her uterus failed to contract, placing her at grave risk. The nurse recognized the emergency and the team acted without delay, following emergency protocols to stop the hemorrhage. The bleeding stopped. Florence stabilized. Florence would not be one of the 16 mothers who died that day. Three days later, she returned home with her healthy newborn

There are thousands of women like Florence across rural Africa—women who want nothing more than a safe pregnancy and a living child in their arms.​

That hope becomes reality only when trained midwives and doctors have the skills, medications, and basic equipment needed to respond when complications arise. To meet this urgent need and save more lives, Catholic World Mission plans to merge with Maternal Life International, which has served mothers and babies in sub-Saharan Africa since 1997. Together, we carry forward the Safe Passages program—providing training and supplies to address the leading causes of maternal death.