Shared Knowledge for a Better Life for All | Takeda Stories

No one should die giving life to another person.

Despite significant advances in healthcare, 830 women die every day from complications during pregnancy or childbirth. 99% of these deaths take place in developing countries, with the situation being the most severe in sub-Saharan Africa.*

Determined to bring about change, 13 healthcare professionals from Africa traveled to the city of Suzaka, Japan to learn more about the region’s community health system, where Public Health Nurses and Health Promotion Volunteers worked closely to link the community and healthcare services. This approach was introduced over 50 years ago and played a critical role in promoting family planning and maternal and child health. It also led to the prefecture becoming one of the healthiest in Japan.

Through the workshop, held as a part of our 5-year partnership program with The Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP), the delegates learned how Suzaka City had empowered women with healthcare knowledge, and by doing so transformed the health of communities.

The empowerment of healthcare professionals through the sharing of best practice based on practical experience not only has the potential to improve the health of local communities, but ultimately can transform entire countries, lifting people from the burden of illness, and allowing them to embrace all that life has to offer.

* Source - Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and the United Nations Population Division