Taking to the Airwaves
“Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. This unique ability to reach out to the widest audience means radio can shape a society’s experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard.”
“Maternity waiting homes make childbirth safer by making sure you have the caring hands of a midwife, near no matter what time you go into labour.”
This is the message broadcast across the radio airwaves in Amhara, Ethiopia.
Heard by thousands of women, men and their families, the message is clear and accessible: maternity waiting homes can be a lifeline for pregnant women living in remote villages dotted across the Amaharic countryside.
In this area of the world, radio plays a prominent role in daily life in Amhara. A powerful tool, radio can overcome barriers of geography, literacy, and education, and provide lifesaving information for a fraction of the cost. Radio can convey important messages on health, education and localised information.
Our project Labour at the Last Mile is fostering community support for maternity waiting homes through media - including radio and film. We know that while women are more than capable of making decisions for herself, having the support of her husband, family and community will certainly make the journey easier.
In Amhara, only one in four of women give birth in a health facility supported by a trained birth attendant. Giving birth in a health facility greatly reduces their risk of complications in childbirth and improves the likelihood of having a happy healthy birth and baby.
But there remains an information gap of institutional birth for women living in the most remote communities. Far from their nearest health centre, they are most at risk should complications arise during childbirth and stand to gain the most from maternity waiting homes – accommodation in the health compound to stay in the days before labour.
These remote communities are often the hardest to reach – and that’s why radio can help in delivering essential health messages to communitites that need it most.
Banner Image: SafeHands | Nancy Durrell McKenna | Uganda | 2006