Dear Friend,

I honestly couldn’t tell if Maryam was dead or alive.

Maryam had just given birth at home to a healthy baby, her fifth child, and was bleeding uncontrollably after the delivery. She had been turned away from local health centers, who said that her case was too complex for them to handle. They told her to go to our Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital—that only we could help her.

As the on-call gynecologist, I worked with our skilled team of Afghan midwives and nurses to save Maryam’s life. After her emergency surgery and 10 days of transfusions, she was well enough to go home.

This is exactly the kind of high-pressure situation MSF staff train for—and that you make possible through your support. Learn more about our lifesaving maternal health care work here.

Everyone needs access to maternal health care and safe birth. Explore this work

A year later, I returned to Afghanistan and was surprised to find Maryam back at our hospital, taking care of another birthing mother. Seeing her thriving and happy is a memory I will always cherish. Maryam's story continues to inspire me and fuel my passion for making sure every mother has the health care they need.

Maternal health is an issue that exists in nearly every part of the world—particularly in developing countries. On average, 830 women die from pregnancy-related causes every day. Most of those deaths are preventable.

That’s why reproductive health care is an integral part of MSF’s emergency medical care.

MSF staff have the skills, training, and dedication needed to support and care for new and expecting mothers. Most Importantly, we also have the support of people like you who help make it possible. In more than 25 countries, our maternal health programs focus on reducing maternal and infant mortality through:

Pregnancy and prenatal consultations for expecting mothers.
Emergency obstetric care for women like Maryam.
Postnatal follow-up for new mothers and their children.
Family planning services, including safe abortion care.

Emergency obstetrical care is among the major needs we see during conflicts or natural disasters. That’s why I am so grateful to this entire community of supporters for enabling doctors like me to help everyone during their pregnancy journey.

Thanks to the support of this movement, I can be flexible and adaptable in some of the world's most challenging medical situations and support mothers like Maryam.

From all of us at MSF, we appreciate everything you do to make this work possible.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rasha Khoury, OB-GYN
Board Member
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières USA

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