Every day, around the world, approximately 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. ninety nine % of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries and the rate is higher among women living in rural areas, and in poorer communities. Improving maternal health is one of the eight United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals. Severe bleeding is one of the leading reasons women die in childbirth. The only way of detecting abnormal placenta challenges is via an ultrasound. Across the globe, more than 3 million newborn babies die every year.
What can be done about it? What can we do?
Plenty of healthcare solutions are available that can prevent most maternal deaths. Expectant mothers need access to prenatal and antenatal care during pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and proper care and support in the weeks after childbirth. This is the action WHO, Hand and Hand and we believe in.
Together with Dr. Janet the Medical Officer of Health in charge of Matungulu Sub County and Jimmy Kilonzi the director of Maisha Mazuri we did realize a first medical camp with an approach to the population and offered free medical examinations in all kind of specialties.
What is important for us?
1. Provide a healthcare solution through connected ultrasound
Together with our partners, it is possible to provide portable ultrasound devices with an embedded communication platform so that remote reading, as well as training, could be possible in rural areas where women have not the possibility to reach health centers.
2. Provide sustainable training to the health workers
In our project “Mobile Ultrasound Patrol” we saw that providing training to local staff in order to give them the opportunity to build a sustainable solution on the ground did make a significant difference to the success of such a project.After a short period of 6 months, we already saw a huge progress from local health workers providing ultrasound exams for a first control. They have been trained through onsite and online training every 6 weeks for 6 months.
3. Support plans to set up a first health house where mothers and children can get health care in rural areas for all kind of diseases together with the local health government
Our mission should be to make healthcare accessible to everybody in rural areas where no medical coverage exists in their usual environment and to build a trustful and competent relationship between the local health workers and the families in the regions. We also should try to connect those centers to the regional hospitals if necessary
