We’re fundraising £16,000 to train 60 midwives in The Gambia

At Horizons Trust we’re passionate about reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in The Gambia. We want to protect every newborn baby and mother here.

In 2023, we trained over 70 Gambian healthcare professionals in global best practices of obstetric and neonatal care. This course gave participants the skills and knowledge to treat various complications that can sadly occur during childbirth. These included postpartum haemorrhage, neonatal sepsis, eclampsia, obstetric fistula, and both maternal and neonatal resuscitation.

And the results were extremely positive – for example, pre and post lecture assessments for the obstetric fistula session showed more than a 72% jump in understanding of the subject following the lecture.

"Horizons' training was very effective. It helped me to know the signs and symptoms of obstetric fistula - how to manage it and prevent it - and know those who are at risk. It's all about having a live and healthy mother and baby at the end of the day."

Amie, midwife, Kanifing General Hospital

But this year, there is no funding to continue this programme.

We want to train an additional 60 midwives in these life-saving skills. To do that, we need to raise £16,000. £250 will pay for one midwife to take part in this essential learning.

That one midwife can then go onto save thousands of lives in her career, and train others to do the same.

Why now?

The Gambia has the 18th highest maternal mortality and the 26th highest neonatal mortality rates in the world. This is unacceptable and needs to change.

At Horizons, we believe in providing solutions to this problem. We support the continuous professional development of doctors, midwives, anaesthetists, and cleaners in The Gambia. Newborn babies and mothers in the country deserve nothing less than world-class healthcare. Our vision is a Gambia where no mother or baby dies a preventable death in childbirth.

But we need your help.

Very recently, The Gambia’s National Assembly rejected a bill that sought to repeal the law banning female genital mutilation (FGM). While we welcome this outcome and are relieved that this horrific practice remains illegal, we are still concerned for the women who have already been subjected to FGM. Despite its legal status, FGM is still widely carried out in the country.

A woman who has undergone FGM has a 5 -fold increased risk of heavy bleeding after birth – otherwise known as postpartum haemorrhage. According to UNFPA, this is the leading cause of maternal deaths across the world. Every year 70,000 women die from this condition, most of them in Africa.

Our training will mean that midwives and health workers can save more mums’ and babies’ lives.

Sadly, these complications do occur, but you can help us to protect every newborn baby and mother in The Gambia.

Donate now. Support us to train one more midwife – and save thousands of lives.

Support us.

We’re fundraising £16,000 to train 60 midwives in The Gambia

Why now?

The impact we've made.

Facts and figures.

90,000

18,000

515

100

6

How you can help.

Get in touch.