During her third pregnancy, Eden Bihon visited the Mekelle Health Center in Tigray, Ethiopia. Although a routine prenatal visit, it held great importance for Eden, as she had recently lost her second child, who died from unknown causes at the age of just one year.
Unknown to her at the time, this visit would have lasting implications for Eden and her baby. A 23-year-old mother, Eden, like most Ethiopian women, had concerns about her pregnancy and well-being. But gestational diabetes was not one of them.
Without proper care, gestational diabetes mellitus or GDM can cause serious complications during pregnancy and childbirth, endangering the life of a woman and her baby. GDM occurs when a woman develops high blood sugar during pregnancy, and increases risk of infection and obstructed labor. Furthermore, pre-eclampsia is three times more likely to occur in women with GDM. An Ethiopia Network for HIV and AIDS Treatment, Care and Support study led by Management Sciences for Health revealed that about 11 percent of women in Mekelle have GDM — high even for Africa with a rate of about 5 percent.
About the authors
Chelsey R Canavan
Chelsey R. Canavan is a research and communications specialist with Management Sciences for Health. Prior to joining MSH, she was an Allan Rosenfield global health fellow at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has a master's in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mebrahtu Abraha
Mebrahtu Abraha is Management Science for Health's regional technical manager for the Ethiopia Network for HIV and AIDS Treatment, Care and Support program. Previously affiliated with Makelle University’s College of Health Sciences, Abraha has almost a decade of experience implementing innovative approaches in low-resource settings with a focus on HIV and AIDS care and treatment, the prevention of mother-to-child transmission and HIV exposed infant care.