World Health Day Challenge 2011

CPAR's 6th Annual World Health Day Challenge is coming up next week on Thursday, April 7th -- World Health Day!  We invite health professionials and other interested people to donate a portion or all of their day's income to support safe motherhood in rural communities in Bunda District.  As Japhet in the above photo is urging you to do, please Donate a Day for Africa!   :-)   (Japhet was actually perched very precariously on a rock high above Bunda town and Lake Victoria for this photo.)


Leticia Mussa with one-week old baby she delivered

We will be collaborating with Bunda District Health Department to provide training for Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) like Leticia Mussa (check her out on You Tube) .  Their key role will be stressed as one of identifying pregnant women in their communities, providing them with education and information, helping them prepare Birth Plans, encouraging them to deliver at the local health facility and assisting them with a strategy to get to the local health facility.  The role of men will be strongly stressed.

Very importantly, TBAs will be trained to identify complicated pregnancies for early referral to Bunda District Hospital, and they will learn about PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV) and how to protect themselves.  We will provide TBAs with safe delivery kits equipped with sterile gloves, aprons, plastic sheeting, razor blades, soap, string to tie the cord, etc.  Although the jury is still out in Tanzania on the official role of TBAs in "safe motherhood", the fact remains that over 60 per cent of rural women give birth at home.  Our goal is to make sure that this happens safely.