IMPROVING SAFE MOTHERHOOD IN AMHARA, ETHIOPIA
The five or ten kilometres that stand between a woman and a health centre may not seem like much. But imagine travelling that distance while enduring the excruciating pain of labour. Every minute scared for your baby, yourself and your family.
This is the reality for millions of women throughout rural Ethiopia. Yet, this unthinkable experience can be avoided. By visiting a maternity waiting home, women can be in the right place when labour starts, with access to around the clock skilled care. But too many communities still do not know about the benefits of maternity waiting homes.
From 2019 – 2022, our Labour at the Last Mile project is working to improve safe motherhood for women living at a distance from health care. Our project centre is in Yilmena Densa and East Denbia, two rural districts in the Amhara northwestern region of Ethiopia. Our project addresses women’s decision-making to include a MWH as part of their birth plan and seeks to strengthen the continuum of care from pregnancy, childbirth and during the postpartum period. We complement local health systems by working in partnership with the Amhara District Health Bureaus.
At the project’s midpoint, our Midterm Review assessed our project’s results, progress and consider how best to address local needs in the project’s next phase.
Results, 2019 - 2022
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65,000
women provided with information on safe motherhood through film and leaflets
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216
midwives and health extension workers supported to enhance the quality of antental care.
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£43,500
in local resources mobilised to support maternal health (estimate equivalent to Ethiopian Bir)
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204
community champions engaged to publicly support maternity waiting homes and safe motherhood practices
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140 Tonnes
of grain gathered to feed women staying at local maternity waiting homes
*This is an estimated audience of Amhara Community Radio based on a sample size of 408 people in Yilmena Densa and East Denbia
How we make change
Delivering safe motherhood information
Our project delivers Information Education Communication (IEC) materials on safe motherhood for pregnant women, their husbands and families. Our health education film Maternity Waiting Homes and complementing take-away printed materials address the Three Delay Model that prevent women from accessing safe childbirth. Our IEC materials use a combination of curated personal storytelling and evidence-based health information.
Extending midwives capacity for antenatal care
Our work extends the capacity of 100 midwives and community health workers to deliver antenatal care. Midwives are an important referral link to comprehensive maternity services and maternity waiting homes. Midwives use our IEC materials to facilitate ‘breakthrough conversation’ - whereby participants understand the importance of visiting a maternity waiting home to maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Midwives use our outreach tablets to screen IEC materials despite a lack of consistent electricity.
Galvanising community support
While women can make decisions for herself, having the support of their husbands, families and community makes the journey easier. We mobilise community support by working with community leaders to champion and mobilise local resources for maternity waiting homes.
COVID-19
Amid Ethiopia’s national lockdown, COVID-19 exacerbated barriers women face in accessing safe motherhood care with reduced transportation, fear about attending the health centres and rampant misinformation. We worked to adapt our project to speak to the overwhelming fear and supported pregnant women in Amhara to make safe, informed choices over their birth plans through a mass radio campaign, translating new guidelines for midwives and IEC materials on COVID-19 and childbirth.
Meet Haymanot
Haymanot recently gave birth to her third child after staying at a maternity waiting home. “I waited for three weeks and gave birth safely, without a problem.” Haymanot had previously given birth at home but as her due date passed, she spoke with her local health extension worker, Mareye, and decided a maternity waiting home was the best option. “I came here to receive support and reduce any birth risks like bleeding. The pregnancy care was very good.” Women like Haymanot across Ethiopia want to do what’s best for their baby and family but need accurate information and support from the health system to be able to do that.
Resources
Midterm Review
Our Midterm Review aims to assess the progress of the "Labour at the Last Mile" project at the midpoint. After 18 months, we are taking stock of the progress we have made in our three-year project.
News
Photo Credit
Banner Image: SafeHands | Nancy Durrell McKenna | Ethiopia | 2012
Haymanot’s Portrait: SafeHands | Nancy Durrell McKenna | Ethiopia | 2019