Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Afghanistan Safe Birthing Program gets underway

Northern Province IDP Camp
Organized  by Rose Charities  partners, the Tabish Social Health Organization the first short course in safe birthing has been conducted in Northern Province IDP (internally displaced person) Camp.

It is estimated (WHO) that a woman dies every two hours in Afghanistan as a consequence of or during childbirth. The Afghan Health Ministry  reports that about 18,000 Afghan women die during childbirth every year. According to a recent report by the NGO Save the Children, Afghanistan ranked as the worst place to give birth, followed by Niger and Chad. (2011) . On average, about 1 in 23 mothers are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes.

A birthing kit is demonstrated
The five day course, delivered to around 30 women had an agenda covering the following areas:  hygiene and legal issues, healthy pregancy, pre-delivery preparation, doctors and midwives visits, safe delivery with and without access to health center, high risk signs and symptoms, preparation of birthing materials. Further sessions included progress assessment and practicalities of delivery, risk assessment for mother and child post delivery and post delivery hygiene and care. In addition family planning and safe birth spacing were discussed, and other aspects such as nutrition and breast feeding. Basic first aid and general health were also covered.

Distribution was  made of special delivery kits and instruction given of the use of the content.

The course was largely funded by the Rose Charities Hillman Fund as part of its international focus on safe birthing education (other Hillman Fund safe birthing programs are currently operating in Guatamala and also Pakistan)