“I didn’t fully grasp how serious it could become,” Gulirano recalled. “But when the contractions began, the fear became real. I was trembling inside, afraid for myself and for my baby.”

For Gulirano, an expecting mother in Uzbekistan, the excitement of welcoming her baby was quickly overshadowed by fear when, days before birth, she was hospitalized due to dangerously high blood pressure.

High blood pressure in pregnancy, also called preeclampsia, is the third leading cause of maternal death in the world. The condition is often discovered — and then monitored and treated — through regular prenatal care.

An expecting mother receiving care at a maternal healthcare facility equipped with modern equipment supplied by UNFPA. © UNFPA Uzbekistan/Guzaliya Nugmankhodjayeva

When her contractions started, Gulirano was able to get to a UNFPA hospital where she was connected to equipment that continuously monitored her baby’s heart rate. “It calmed me. My baby was really there. Alive. Waiting for me,” Gulirano shared.

When it was time to give birth, UNFPA midwife Shoira led the way.

“We breathed together, and I trusted her completely. She guided me during labor, and everything went well. When they placed a warm bundle on my chest and said, ‘It’s a girl,’ I couldn’t hold back the tears,” Gulirano told UNFPA.

But the danger wasn’t over after Gulirano delivered a healthy baby girl. Soon after birth, she began showing signs of postpartum hemorrhage.

The medical team quickly jumped into action and was able to stop the bleeding.

“Shoira later told me that those crucial minutes saved my life.”

During an obstetric emergency, the swift care of an expert team can save the lives of mothers and their babies. Make a gift today to support this lifesaving care.

A mother and her newborn at a UNFPA maternity ward in Uzbekistan. © UNFPA Uzbekistan/Guzaliya Nugmankhodjayeva

Across Uzbekistan, past generosity of supporters like you supplied more than 2,300 pieces of lifesaving equipment to 230 maternity hospitals, giving providers the tools they need to handle obstetric emergencies and save lives. Supporters like you also provided training to over 18,000 doctors, midwives, and healthcare providers, strengthening the safety and quality of care for mothers and newborns.

Strengthening maternal healthcare is crucial for safe deliveries, healthy mothers and babies, and to provide all families with a strong start. © UNFPA Uzbekistan/Guzaliya Nugmankhodjayeva

As a result of these sustained efforts, maternal deaths have dropped by 75% since UNFPA first began work in Uzbekistan in 1993.

Thanks to modern equipment, continuous monitoring, and expert health workers — provided by supporters like you — an entire generation of women in Uzbekistan are surviving childbirth because they received skilled care and support.

Will you make a gift to sustain vital care to pregnant women and newborns in Uzbekistan and around the world?

— USA for UNFPA