The Stand Up for African Mothers campaign is very important, both to AMREF as an organisation and to me personally.  For AMREF, it is important because it is going to make a real impact on the lives and health of African women. It will save lives by raising funds to train 15,000 midwives by the year 2015, midwives who will care for mothers before, during and after delivery. It’s an exciting campaign because it is global – AMREF offices around the world are all focusing on the same cause, and drawing the world’s attention to it. It is also exciting because we are asking Africans to contribute money to a cause that touches them closely. It is also unique because AMREF has chosen to support an African midwife to win the Nobel Peace Prize 2015.  We believe that midwives are very important to the health and lives of mothers and children, and therefore of the community, so we would like the world to recognise and honour the important work they do to save lives. 

As a woman, I feel pleased that I am doing something for other women through this campaign. I would like to see more African women delivering in health centres, under skilled care. I have always felt that it is unfair that some women can get the services, but others can’t. I’m privileged because I have delivered my children in health centres, and I got antenatal care before they were born.  Not many African women are able to enjoy the same privileges because they have no knowledge of the importance or existence of these services, they have no means of transport, no money, or there are not enough trained health workers to attend to them. I feel sad about it this, and I am happy to be doing something about it through the Stand Up for African Mothers campaign.  It makes me feel that AMREF is doing something worthwhile to bring about change.  

I would like to appeal to all Africans to Stand Up for African Mothers, and for the rest of the world to support this initiative with their own donations. Let us all pull together to save the lives of African mothers.

Dr Teguest Guerma is  AMREF's Director General