Support for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality at the Kankan Regional Hospital

Located 700 km from Conakry, the Kankan administrative region is home to over 2.2 million people. The Kankan Regional Hospital (HRK), the main referral center, records approximately 6,000 deliveries per year with a high cesarean section rate (805 in 2021), often performed in emergencies due to a lack of early detection of complications. Maternal and neonatal mortality rates remain concerning: 430 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, 32 neonatal deaths per 1,000, and 107 fetal deaths per 1,000. Maternal and neonatal morbidity is frequently associated with hemorrhages, dystocia, eclampsia, and late fetal distress. Despite these challenges, ultrasound remains uncommon. Only one doctor at the regional hospital performs it, and the primary reason for requesting ultrasound is to determine the baby's sex rather than to monitor pregnancies. This project aims to address this gap by training midwives in obstetric ultrasound and providing them with specialized equipment, thereby improving the monitoring of high-risk pregnancies and the management of complications. Building on initiatives undertaken by the EDA Association at HRK since 2012, this project has the long-term goal of strengthening the capacity of nursing staff and reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates by improving access to prenatal diagnosis.