Women’s health issues are difficult to address in Nepal, a country known for its gender discrimination, low literacy rate in women, and high maternal mortality. Public Radio International interviewed Dr. Sangeeta Mishra about her struggle against these conditions as a gynecologist in Nepal on a Fulbright Scholarship at Johns Hopkins University.

According to Dr. Mishra, delivering babies at home is part of Nepalese culture: only 16 percent of women deliver in hospitals. She explains in the PRI interview:

“First thing which I realized was a major problem in Nepal was high rate of maternal mortality, and women were dying due to pregnancy-related complications. Women … are not aware of pregnancy [complications] … it’s just a normal thing and that they can deliver at home and they are not aware of the consequences that pregnancy can bring. So I plan to develop a major educational and awareness generation program for these women, where most of the deaths occur … to [inform] them of the importance of delivering at the hospital, or having a skilled helper at home.”

The full audio program is available through Public Radio International at http://www.pri.org/health/global-health/womens-health-nepal1422.html.