IRAQ: Mosul's Expectant Mothers Just Cannot Wait

It has been more than two years since the battle between the Islamic State (IS) group and the Iraqi forces officially ended in Mosul, Iraq. The healthcare system remains fragile with thousands of families struggling to access quality affordable health care and even the community’s primary health care needs remaining unmet. Amongst the most vulnerable are pregnant women, many of whom have been pushed to deliver at home with untrained traditional midwives, either because they cannot afford the fee for delivery or because maternity services are overcrowded or completely absent in their area, as well as their newborn babies who cannot wait for care because the health system is not ready for them.