Reducing maternal and infant mortality in Madagascar

In Madagascar, the current infant and maternal mortality rate is 353 per 100,000 live births. The Malagasy Lutheran Church (MLC) is helping to work toward the country’s goal of reducing that rate to 70 per 100,000.

With support from ELCA World Hunger, MLC runs the Remafi program, which connects traditional birth attendants in rural areas with hospitals and clinics. Remafi offers trainings, facilitates collaboration and encourages traditional birth attendants to prepare mothers for hospital births.

Dr. Rivosoa Nasoloniaina, a doctoral fellow of the VID Specialized University of Norway, is conducting a case study of Remafi’s work. He hopes to understand how this ministry can help decrease the country’s mortality rate and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of increasing “good health and well-being” for women.

He wrote about his research for the Lutheran World Federation blog. Read more here.