Birth
and death are closely related in Sierra Leone. Infant mortality
rates are high as pregnant women often cannot afford to pay
for medical treatments or even to reach the nearest medical
facility to give birth. Even if they could, medical services
are inadequate; lack of medical equipment, infrastructures and
human resources result in tragic loses of life. Even after birth,
children often succumb to poor nutrition, illness and, again,
lack of reliable medical care. In an effort to reverse the high
toll of human suffering and loss associated with giving birth,
USAID launched a program in 2007 with World Vision as partner
to minimize the maternal and child mortality risk. The idea
is to train women in traditional birth attendance (TBA). The
program, which began with a five-day workshop in TBA, now includes
the construction and operation of five TBA centers that specifically
address problems associated with obstructed labor, and post-
partum and ante- partum hemorrhaging, and the importance of
heeding early warning signs of potential difficulties. Complications
due to HIV/AIDS and malaria in pregnancy are also addressed.Over
5, 026 consultations were held for 218 pregnant women and during
the program experienced increased participation in 2008 due
in part to outreach sessions which stressed the importance of
immunization and provided basic health information on malaria,
diarrhea, disease prevention, and HIV/AIDS. Attendants were
also advised on the importance of early treatment of HIV/AIDS.Finda
Kalokeh, a maternal and child health aid who lives in the village
of Kono, attended a 21 day course on pregnancy and safe child
delivery. “After finishing my training, I started to train
local women in traditional birth attendance,” Kalokeh
said. In sessions with traditional birth attendants Kalokeh
demonstrated how to perform the pre-natal visit to pregnant
women, detect any possible complications, and assisting women
during delivery.USAID also provided new equipment to monitor
the heart beat of mothers and babies along with scales to weight
newborns. In addition, USAID supplies pregnant women with vitamins
and basic medicine.The health center in Kono is equipped to
assist women in all phases of pregnancy (delivery). The USAID-World
Vision program also provides nutrition education workshops for
pregnant women. In February 2009, 21 pregnant women attended
one of the organized nutrition workshops.One objective of the
education of mothers is to sensitize women on the importance
of breast feeding during the first six months of a baby’s
life. Training also stresses the importance of basic nutrition
and sanitation education for mothers with babies over six months
old.
During the sessions, trainers explained the importance of good
food using illustrated nutrition charts. Trainers also weighed
babies to demonstrate to mothers the effects of a good diet.
“I know how to clean my baby and nourish him correctly,”
said Anna Ngaujau, one of the 25 mothers who recently attended
the workshop.
“Thank you USAID” she added.
