Working with the local community

In Uganda, one in 49 women die from childbirth and 23 out of 1,000 infants die during their first month of life. Most of these deaths can be prevented by simple, evidence-based interventions. To address the high maternal and newborn mortality, we developed a maternal and newborn heath project – the Maama project – together with Uganda Development and Health Associates, an NGO that has been improving the health of the local community since 2003.

 

Improving maternal and newborn health

Our Maama Project is running in Maina Parish in southeastern Uganda. We use two low-cost interventions – community health workers and clean birth kits – to improve antenatal care attendance, increase clean health facility births and reduce the risk of infections, one of the main causes of maternal and newborn mortality.

With the help of local community health workers, we are able to conduct home visits to all pregnant women in our project area. During a home visit, the community health worker offers the woman information on birth preparedness, the importance of attending antenatal care and giving birth in a health facility. After birth, the community health worker equips the woman with information on her reproductive rights, family planning and newborn care. Besides training and supporting the community health workers, we work closely with the local leaders and health care staff in the area.

 

 

Birth kits – Reducing infections and increasing antenatal attendance

Antenatal visits are important for monitoring the woman's health and preparing for the birth. Antenatal visits also play an important role in detecting HIV; all women attending antenatal care are tested for HIV, enabling treatment for the mother and a reduced risk of infection for the baby.

In our project area, only 12% of women attending antenatal care go for all four recommended visits. In order to encourage the women to attend all visits, we offer the women a clean birth kit on their fourth visit. The kit contains two pairs of gloves, cotton wool, a razor blade, two sheets, soap, cord ties and a clinic card for the infant. Health facilities in our project area are often out of stock on these items, and women are asked to bring them to the hospital or clinic for delivery. Giving women the birth kit not only reduces the risk of infections and encourages women to attend antenatal visits, but it also lifts the financial stress of obtaining these items and gives women confidence to go to the hospital for the delivery.