Dear Friend,

Every day on average, 830 women die from pregnancy-related causes, and 99 percent of these deaths occur in low-resource countries. Our teams are working tirelessly to improve health outcomes for pregnant women in the places we work. Providing maternal health care is an integral part of how Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) addresses the health inequities women face around the world.

This May, we’re honoring mothers in our care by sharing their stories in a weekly series called Maternal Health Mondays.

Our first story took place in Zimbabwe, where MSF is helping scale up preventative care and treatment for cervical cancer.

Shuvai Munyaradzi, a mother of two, was visiting Gutu Rural Hospital in 2019 when she was offered an optional cervical screening. She later returned for a consultation and the nurse detected some abnormalities on her cervix that required treatment. The MSF team was able to treat Shuvai using cryotherapy, a process which involves freezing cervical tissue to destroy precancerous lesions.

After her treatment, Shuvai’s next screening came back normal. And to add to her joy, the day after she received her screening results, she discovered that she was pregnant with her third child. In January 2020 her daughter, Chidochashe, was born.

Today, a network of six health centers and Gutu Rural Hospital offer comprehensive prevention and early treatment to thousands of women just like Shuvai. Our MSF teams provide a combination of screening, counseling, diagnosis and treatment to women who otherwise may not know they need care.

These screenings are a crucial part of preventing cervical cancer, and can play a big role in improving the lives and health of the women who receive them.

As an independent, impartial organization, we depend on the generosity of our donors to help us continue the important work we do, including our work to prevent and treat cervical cancer.

By making a gift to MSF this Maternal Health Monday, you can help our teams provide critical screenings and lifesaving treatments to women like Shuvai, while providing essential health services around the world.

Shuvai’s story is just one example of the impact MSF teams can have on the lives of women all over the world. We hope you’re looking forward to learning more about our important maternal care efforts next week.