SUPPORTING HEALTH WORKERS TO PROVIDE SRHR IN COMMUNITIES
AT THE LAST MILE
Mobile outreach brings services to
communities with limited health access.
In Ethiopia and Uganda, health and outreach workers are part of the constellation of mobile outreach services that complement stationary health centres. Mobile outreach services bring information, services and supplies directly to communication in hard-to-reach areas.
Working with midwives, health extension workers, village health teams and peer educators, we help bring SRHR care and information closer to clients.
We work with midwives and health extension workers in Ethiopia to provide a continuum of maternity care from antenatal care, referrals to institutional births and postnatal support.
In Uganda, we support outreach workers with tablets that complement their work, while providing real-time data collection.
During COVID-19, health and mobile providers were on the frontline providing essential SRHR services.
Delivering impact for health workers
274 health and mobile outreach providers provided SRHR to hard-to-reach areas
216 midwives and health extension workers supported to provide antenatal care
20 outreach providers provided SRHR information to 2,000 people with our Outreach Tablets in Uganda
9 out 10 outreach providers agree our tablets complement mobile outreach.
Meet Icon Ray
Icon Ray works as a peer educator providing SRHR information to his community. “I do mobile outreach weekly for RHU and there are lots of young people who want information but do not go out to find it.” Icon Ray recognises that peer education is essential in supporting better access for young people to SRHR services. Thanks to Icon Ray, young people know that they can get the services they need at their nearest RHU clinic.
Enhancing mobile outreach
Our In SafeHands Outreach Tablets are an easy-to-use mHealth solution for midwives, peer educators and village health teams. Providers carry the portable tablets in a backpack as they travel to hard-to-reach communities. Tablets are returned and charged at a docking station making use of local clinics’ solar energy.
The tablets are used in isolated geographic areas over many days. Our customised app allows outreach providers to screen digital Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials on maternal health, contraception and menstrual health management. Real-time data collection allows for the collection of use data, GPS location and simple Evaluation surveys. Supported languages for voice and subtitles include Amharic and English, with availability of other local languages as required.
The tablets were developed based on human-centred design with mobile providers identifying the ideal prototype and areas for continuous improvement.
Extending the influence of midwives
Midwives and health extension workers are crucial at improving maternal health. 77% of women we surveyed in Amhara reported health extension workers was their main source of health information. Therefore, engaging health workers has been central to our work. We supported midwives to deliver antenatal care, support community pregnancy conferences and postnatal listening sessions. Midwives were upskilled in their communication skills, with a strong emphasis on storytelling to convey perspectives and testimonials from community members.
Stories of Choice
