St. Damien Hospital in Haiti performs approximately 400 free deliveries a month, of which about 17% are cesarean births.

Why we care: Poverty and lack of medical care in Haiti means that high-risk childbirth is often fatal. A cesarean section is not affordable to most mothers.

How we’re solving this:  Providing 25 cesarean sections for free to women at St. Damien Hospital.

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and has a high maternal mortality rate. One in 10 mothers die in childbirth according to the World Health Organization.  Like all mothers, Haitian mothers continue to dream of a better life for their children starting with a safe delivery.

St. Damien Pediatric Hospital offers free maternal and neonatal care and it performs around 400 deliveries per month completely free-of-charge. The hospital has recently added a special high-risk pregnancy surgery unit to answer this important need but cesarean sections are more costly. This emergency surgery is the only possible delivery option for many mothers experiencing complications during labor.  The hospital relies completely on donations to operate.

In order to continue to do this critical work and provide women in labor with the emergency care that they need, the Francesca Rava Foundation through N.P.H. Italia is raising funds to provide 25 cesarean sections for free.  A cesarean section is an operation that requires special surgical tools and trained medical professionals.  The funds from this project will provide operating room maintenance, disposable surgical equipment, as well as funding to cover obstetric surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and support staff.  The support staff includes midwives, cleaners, lab techs and aides.  Each cesarean section surgery costs $500 for one woman.  Help ensure that more moms in Haiti can access this life-saving procedure.