Belly Woman: Birth, Blood & Ebola: the Untold Story

What happens to pregnant women when a humanitarian catastrophe strikes? Belly Woman shines a light on a story often left untold. May, 2014. Sierra Leone is ranked the country with the highest death rate of pregnant women in the world. The same month, Ebola crosses in from neighbouring Guinea. Arriving a few weeks later, Dr Benjamin Black finds himself at the centre of an exponential Ebola outbreak. From impossible decisions on the maternity ward to moral dilemmas at the Ebola Treatment Centres. One mistake, one error of judgment, could spell disaster. An eye-opening work of reportage and advocacy, Belly Woman chronicles the inside journey through an unfolding global health crisis and the struggle to save the lives of young mothers. As Black reckons with the demons of the past, he must try to learn the lessons for a different, more resilient, future. AUTHOR: Dr Benjamin Black is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in London and a specialist advisor to international aid organisations. His focus on sexual, reproductive and maternal healthcare for populations in times of crisis has taken him to many countries. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic he provided frontline healthcare to pregnant women and supported international guidelines development. Benjamin also teaches medical teams around the world on improving sexual and reproductive health care to the most vulnerable people in the most challenging of environments. Benjamin is also a member of the expert panel enquiry into racial injustice in UK maternity services.