International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

The earthquake in Haiti has affected all public services, including the training of midwives, it has been reported.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the country's only midwifery school was reduced to rubble in the disaster earlier this month.

The continued problems faced by obstetric fistula sufferers serve as a reminder of the need to further women's rights on a global scale, it has been claimed.

There is no evidence that eating in the hours before giving birth causes harm to mothers or their babies, according to new research.

Women have previously been discouraged from eating or drinking during labour, as doctors were concerned that there would be complications if surgery was required.

Posted by Paul Robertson

The wife of Nigeria's Ondo State governor Olukemi Mimiko has launched a project that will focus on women's health issues in the region.

Speaking to journalists in Akure, Mrs Mimiko said the new initiative will deal with raising awareness of breast and cervical cancer as well as other women's health issues.

Posted by Carla Mackenzie

Despite Ghana having one of the lowest HIV rates in east and southern Africa, the stigma surrounding the condition is still strong.

Doctors in Haiti have been forced to carry out two Caesarean sections on a park bench, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has reported.

Port-au-Prince's maternity clinic, Maternite Isaie Gentil, has been closed since the city was devastated last week, meaning some pregnant women have had nowhere to go.

There could be as many as 37,000 pregnant women among the three million people affected by Haiti's earthquake, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

With this in mind, UNFPA has launched an urgent appeal for funding to help meet emergency maternal health needs.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is working to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to displaced people in Haiti.

Assessments are being carried out in Port-au-Prince to assess the toll of the recent earthquake, the organisation says.

UNFPA is prioritising assistance for pregnant women in the impacted areas, who are especially vulnerable during the crisis.

International ethical fashion brand Bel Espirit is lending its support to Heal Africa by launching a sustainable business project during Nolcha Fashion Week, which will be launched on February 11th.

Specifically, Bel Espirit will work with Heal Africa to create fair-trade cooperatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo under the banner of Donate Design.

The recent earthquake in Haiti has put pregnant womens' lives at risk, it has been claimed.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) , thousands of women in the region are at risk from complications and death related to childbirth and pregnancy as a direct result of the earthquake.