New York Times examines maternal mortality in Uganda

Aug 2 2011

"Half of the 340,000 deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes each year occur in Africa, almost all in anonymity," the New York Times writes in an article profiling several cases of women who have died during childbirth in Ugandan hospitals.

The Ugandan non-profit group Center for Human Rights, Health and Development in March filed a lawsuit on behalf of two women who have died in childbirth, contending "the government violated the two women's right to life by failing to provide them with basic maternal care," the newspaper notes. The article examines Uganda's lack of basic medical supplies, insufficient number of health care workers, and how foreign aid is affecting domestic spending on public health (Duggar, 7/29).