Faith A., 22

Faith is a 22-year-old married woman and mother of two children who lives in a rural community with her family. She left school while in Form Two because her family could no longer afford the school fees, limiting her opportunities for stable employment. She relies on small-scale farming to support her household, while her husband earns an irregular income through casual labour. Together, their earnings are insufficient to meet their family's basic needs. They live in a modest two-room mud house and struggle to afford food, healthcare, and other essential expenses. During her pregnancy, Faith developed severe anaemia and began experiencing extreme body weakness, persistent tiredness, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath on exertion, and occasional palpitations. As her condition worsened, she found it increasingly difficult to carry out household responsibilities and care for her children. Severe anaemia during pregnancy placed both her life and that of her unborn baby at risk, requiring urgent medical attention. Her financial hardship and limited access to nutritious food and timely healthcare likely contributed to the severity of her condition.

Faith is a 22-year-old pregnant woman with severe anaemia and a previous perineal tear. She requires prompt treatment of the anaemia, nutritional support, regular antenatal follow-up, and skilled monitoring during labour and delivery. With appropriate treatment, adherence to medication, adequate nutrition and careful obstetric care, her prognosis is favourable. However, untreated severe anaemia may increase the risk of heart failure, infection, postpartum haemorrhage, preterm delivery, poor fetal growth and fetal distress, potentially endangering both mother and baby.