Ben Keane
DE IR
Analysis Post
Sub-Saharan Africa notoriously has some of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. In this article titled, “Twins in sub-Saharan Africa ‘more likely to die’ in early childhood” we see that it is even harder for infants to survive when born as a twin. The article presents the statistics of infant mortality in the case of twins in countries with lower infant mortality rates such as Switzerland, England, and the United States. The issue of twin death rates in Sub-Saharan Africa is that it is not getting the worldwide attention it should be and the UN doesn’t know enough about the situation to help.
High child mortality rates have been a big problem facing Sub-Saharan Africa for years as living conditions are not suitable for the weak immune systems of newborns. In the United States, there are specific practices for newborns that provide for a healthy and safe upbringing upon birth, but in Africa many women are not even able to give birth in a hospital, much less have the resources to care for their child after birth. The writer says, “Giving birth to twins is riskier than delivering just one baby – no matter which country a mother delivers in. There is an increased risk of early delivery, low birth weight and mothers suffering severe blood loss,” which serves to show that while twin births are already a scary process in MDCs, in poverty stricken areas of Africa, it seems impossible to successfully deliver both children. It is also important to note that in the article, Oxford professor, Christiaan Monden says ways of improving birthing conditions, doctors should be note if a mother is having twins in advance and the children should be monitored frequently after their birth. This sounds like a good idea, but it is very hard to achieve in Sub-Saharan Africa where the resources necessary or this aren’t available. Also, families that live in remote areas of Africa don’t have hospitals nearby for them to deliver children. It is important to note though that while child mortality rates in Africa are high, they have steadily been going down since 1990, so there is hope for more successful medical practices that can lead to Africa being a place where twins being succesfully birthed won’t be seen as an unlikely task as it is today.