The little Burmese boy Hein Hthe Te Ko no longer has a mother. She died in her hut when he was born six months ago. He is now our godchild and we are working with his aunt to ensure that he can grow up healthy. It is highly likely that the mother's death could have been avoided with a check-up during pregnancy. It is relatively easy to anticipate complications at birth and avoid them with a planned caesarean section in hospital.

But the reality is different for most women in the remote Irrawaddy Delta in southern Myanmar. Very few of them have the opportunity to receive medical assistance during their pregnancy; there is simply no such service available. This means that the approximately 10% of all women who experience complications during childbirth are left to their fate. With the clinic ship of the Irrawaddy River Doctors Artemed Stiftung already brings prenatal care to some remote villages, but this is nowhere near enough to meet the demand.

Together with the local hospital in the town of Bogale, which has a population of 100,000, a mother and child center is therefore to be established. Several midwives and a gynecologist will look after the women and accompany them through their pregnancy with three examinations if possible. We would like to look after around 400 women per month. The women will finally have a place to go and the all-important protection for themselves and their babies during this vulnerable phase of their lives.