Against the backdrop of a brush-covered hilltop in central Malawi, women in brightly colored clothing gather to cook, chat, or simply rest amid a cluster of small buildings that rises from the sparsely vegetated landscape. Boston-based MASS Design Group’s latest project—a “maternity waiting village” near the Kasungu District Hospital—aims to address high infant and maternal mortality rates by placing high-risk expectant mothers in close proximity to medical professionals during the final weeks of pregnancy.
Densely populated but largely rural, Malawi, in southeast Africa, is one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth: many women must travel long distances from remote areas to reach medical providers, and nearly seven mothers and 50 infants die for every 1,000 live births, So-called maternity waiting homes, located near hospitals or health centers, can dramatically improve chances for a successful delivery.
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