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African governments warned of lawsuits for maternal deaths under COVID-19 lockdowns

Exclusive: Women have died or suffered unsafe births after transport bans, while hospitals report rising equipment shortages.

By Lydia Namubiru and Soita Khatondi Wepukhulu
African governments warned of lawsuits for maternal deaths under COVID-19 lockdowns
A woman 8 months pregnant in Kibera Slums Nairobi. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, threats have risen on marginalized people especially the teenagers living in high poverty communities. | Photo by Donwilson Odhiambo / SOPA Images/Sipa USA
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African governments could face lawsuits arising from maternal deaths caused by COVID-19 restrictions, human rights lawyers have warned today.

As part of a major global investigation, openDemocracy today reveals “alarming” evidence of deaths and unsafe births across Africa during the pandemic, in circumstances that contravene World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and national laws.

In some cases, COVID-19 transport bans prevented women from getting to hospital in time during emergencies, while other health workers fearing coronavirus infection shunned or refused to treat pregnant women in emergencies.

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0