Giving Compass' Take:

• Declan Eytan explains how Mothers of Africa works to reduce maternal mortality by improving the healthcare system and educating mothers.

• How can funders work to spread the reach of maternal healthcare projects? 

• Learn about the SDG trajectories for maternal and child health. 

For a Southern African nation with a population of roughly 16 million and a maternal mortality rate which stands at 591 per 100,000 live births according to Unicef data, a Cardiff University professor spotted an opportunity to work towards a long-term solution. She founded Mothers of Africa, a charity which prioritizes access to education and healthcare for those located outside Zambia's capital Lusaka, in the rural Chongwe District. Judith Hall, OBE and professor Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine at the Cardiff University in Wales, founded Mothers of Africa in the year 2005. Her mission has since been to implement change across Sub-Saharan Africa via education and infrastructure.

It became increasingly evident that one of the most important things was educating the moms to help themselves.

Over the course of 12 years, Hall alongside her Mothers of Africa team and supporters, has established a hospital wing, operating theater, nurses health post, adult learning center and solar power plant whilst collaborating with members of the Chongwe District community.

Read the full article on maternal mortality by Declan Eytan at Forbes.