‘Between risk and despair’: Cyclical drought hurts pregnant women in Angola
Al JazeeraAngola is struggling with its worst climate crisis in 40 years as it severely affects the lives of its pregnant women. “Between risk and despair, many women still feel afraid of accessing hospitals but this will and must change,” says Germana Tuitileni, a traditional midwife for 20 years, who now gives talks to pregnant women on the importance of safer childbirth in hospitals. “It was designed to receive only pregnant women with health issues and complications, so that they can be assisted before giving birth,” Wilca Ndapandula, the facility’s head, told Al Jazeera. “With the drought, women face many challenges as they are expected to provide for their children,” Alice Peso, manager of Action for Rural Development and Environment non-governmental organisation in Cunene. “Thus, a lot of them, sometimes even pregnant, are forced to go to neighbouring Namibia to do domestic work and be able to obtain some financial resources.” In the few water fountains in southern Angola, it is mostly women and children digging for water used by the entire community.
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