09/12/20

COVID-19, fear and maternal health

Women during a prenatal medical consultation. Copyright: UN Photo/Hien Macline, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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<h1>COVID-19, fear and maternal health</h1>
<h4></h4>
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<p><strong>Episode 19</strong></p>
<p>Preventable maternal and child deaths increased during recent Ebola outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa as women lost access to health services. This week, <em>Africa Science Focus</em> examines the effect COVID-19 is having on maternal health.</p>
<p>“We used to have daily updates, they used to say that as a pregnant woman you are at risk of contracting coronavirus. When it came to attending antenatal I was very scared,” Juliet Banda tells <em>Africa Science Focus</em>.</p>
<p>Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message WhatsApp +254799042513<strong>. </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Africa Science Focus</em></strong><strong>, with Selly Amutabi. </strong></p>
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<p><em style="font-family: CaeciliaCom-55Roman, TimesNewRoman, serif; font-size: 18px;">This programme was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the European Development Journalism Grants programme, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.</em></p>
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<p>This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.scidev.net" target="_blank">SciDev.Net</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/africa-science-focus/covid-19-fear-and-maternal-health/" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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Episode 19

Preventable maternal and child deaths increased during recent Ebola outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa as women lost access to health services. This week, Africa Science Focus examines the effect COVID-19 is having on maternal health.

“We used to have daily updates, they used to say that as a pregnant woman you are at risk of contracting coronavirus. When it came to attending antenatal I was very scared,” Juliet Banda tells Africa Science Focus.

Want to know more about what’s happening in science in Africa? Send us your questions and we’ll find an expert to answer them — text or voice message WhatsApp +254799042513.

Africa Science Focus, with Selly Amutabi.

This programme was funded by the European Journalism Centre, through the European Development Journalism Grants programme, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.