In "Edge of Joy," filmmaker Dawn Shapiro goes inside a busy maternity ward in Nigeria, where maternal deaths are among the world's highest.
"The Edge of Joy," an issue-driven documentary regarding maternal health in Nigeria aired in excerpt April 28th on PBS NewsHour.
Throughout the world, one woman dies during childbirth every 90 seconds . While the United States has seen an increase in maternal mortality, Belize is finding ways to improve maternal health.The World Health Organization reports that, with a rate of 11 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies, the U.S. ranks behind more than 40 other countries . Some health officials say that an increase in the age of pregnant women, as well as obesity, diabetes, and the number of c-sections and induced labors have led to this increase .
Women and rural families' attitudes toward family planning are slowly changing in India, and public health experts in Assam say they are seeing an increase in the use of contraceptives.
Boat clinics in India provide family planning services, immunizations, antenatal care to pregnant women and basic healthcare to socially and geographically isolated villages along the Brahmaptra River. But there are still hurdles to overcome.
A fisherman stands knee-deep in the river as a boat pulls up to the bank in the northeastern Indian village of Tengatoli. A crew made up of doctors, nurses, and one pharmacist grab bags of medical supplies and lug a large generator toward the bamboo homes in the distance.
Families in Kano, Nigeria struggle to procure blood for mothers suffering from obstetric hemorrhage during delivery. A new blood bank next to the hospital offers hope.
This segment was produced by Outer Voices. The Outer Voices podcast series was made possible with the support of the Schulz Donor Advised Fund of Sonoma County.
The mighty Brahmaputra River separates thousands from adequate healthcare facilities in Assam, India. Boat Clinics run by the Center for Northeast Studies and Policy Research navigate through the shallow waters to reach the inhabitants of the river's islands.
This segment was produced by Outer Voices. Support for Hanna Wingber Win's reporting was provided by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. This Outer Voices podcast series was made possible with the support of the Schulz Donor Advised Fund of Sonoma County.
Assam has the highest maternal mortality rates in India. Although the Indian government has increased it efforts to decrease maternal deaths, thousands of children still lose their mothers in childbirth.
This segment was produced by Outer Voices. Support for Hanna Ingber Win's reporting was provided by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. This Outer Voices podcast series was made possible with the support of the Schulz Donor Advised Fund of Sonoma County.
Over 36,000 women in Nigeria die each year due to post-delivery complications. Dawn Sinclair Shapiro discusses documentary, "The Edge of Joy" which focuses on the pregnancy of several Nigerian women, with MediaGlobal.
Below, Director Dawn Sinclair Shapiro discusses her documentary with MediaGlobal. "The Edge of Joy" focuses on the pregnancy of several Nigerian women the day they go into labor. Find the article excerpted below.
Tuberculosis, one of the world's deadliest diseases, has long been forgotten by most Americans, but it is re-emerging in a new, virulent form around the world.
Every year about 70,000 women die due to pregnancy and childbirth related causes in India.
OUTSIDE the main hospital in San Cristóbal de las Casas, women in traditional multicoloured garb queue up to see a doctor. Many are pregnant or carry infants on their backs. One expectant mother says she fears there will not be a bed for her when she enters labour—all too common in the overcrowded hospital. Tales of deaths from hypertension, haemorrhage or infection during or after giving birth are common in the second city of the state of Chiapas. In a nearby village, one doctor recalls a woman whose journey took so long that she died on the street outside his clinic.
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