The Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy is a Catholic Religious Congregation founded in 1961. The mother house (Generalate house) is located in Nigeria.

The congregation runs its own hospitals in Nigeria. One of the hospitals on site is the Mercy Specialist Hospital Ahiaeke, which has already been supported by material donations from the Mathias Foundation (locations Ibbenbüren, Rheine and Mettingen).

As a member of the health project team of my religious congregation, I have the honour of presenting this project to you. I myself work as a gynaecologist at the Mathias Hospital in Rheine.

(Dr. Eunice Igwe (Schwester Chiamaka), DMMM.

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Unlike in Germany, there is no compulsory national health insurance in Nigeria, to support the less privileged. Medical treatment is expensive and can therefore only be utilised by a small number of women.

As a result, many pregnant women often go to a non-certified birth houses to give birth. However, there are in most cases no trained midwives or doctors working here. Particularly in the case of high-risk pregnancies, the care provided by the nursing assistants working there is often inadequate. Pregnant women often do not go to hospital in time (for financial reasons) and complications such as heavy bleeding or lack of oxygen for the baby occur during birth.

It is not uncommon for mother and child to die during labour in such situations.

Many women in Nigeria have fibroids in their uterus from a young age. These are benign muscle tumours that can lead to complications, especially during pregnancy. Even outside of pregnancy, those affected often suffer from heavy periods, pain or an unfulfilled desire to have children.

Many complications could be recognised and avoided at an earlier stage.

A caesarean section is often necessary, so that it would be good for the expectant mother to be medically safe and well cared for.

Good medical care for these women is important to us. Help us to make childbirth safer in Nigeria and to accompany healthy mothers and children into life.

AN EXPECTANT MOTHER

DONATION