Roots of Health helps high-risk pregnant women in Palawan have clinic-based deliveries.

Why we care: Pregnancies can be high-risk for a variety of reasons and access to emergency obstetric care can mean the difference between life and death.

How we’re solving this: Ensuring the costs of obstetric care are covered.

Melody is 17 years old and is going to have her first baby next month. She was a high school student, but was forced to drop out of school when she became pregnant. She now relies on support from her own parents, who scavenge through trash. Because Melody is young and this is her first baby, her pregnancy is considered high-risk and she should not give birth at home. However, her family struggles to earn even $1 per day, and they have no means of raising the $100 they need so Melody can have a safe delivery in a clinic or hospital.

Roots of Health serves countless other women and girls with stories just like Melody. Pregnancies can be high-risk for a variety of reasons: because the mother-to-be is younger than 20 or older than 35, if this is a woman’s first baby or her 6th or 7th, if the expectant mother has diabetes, high blood pressure or preeclampsia, or if there are complications such as if the baby is in breech position or if the baby’s umbilical cord is coiled around its neck.

In order to help ensure the heath and safety of the mother and the baby, Roots of Health staff are committed to assisting with the home deliveries that most of our clients have due to a lack of money to deliver in a clinical setting. However, we frequently identify situations in which the mother-to-be really must deliver in a clinic in order to avoid harm to or even death of the mother or baby. For these pregnancies we ask for your support. On average we assist with 30 high-risk deliveries a year, so every $100 raised translates to another Melody who can safely deliver in a clean environment equipped to handle any complications or emergencies that may arise.