Teach Traditional Ethiopian Midwives to Save Lives

As the year comes to a close, Team VSI is busy wrapping up the year-end activities and reflecting on the progress and impact of our work in 2011. 

Our work in Ethiopia has been highlighted with stories of women and providers who have made a difference to our work. They are the example of how simple and innovative medical solutions can make an everlasting impact on families and entire communities. This year we met two health extension workers (HEWs), Robey and Aynalem, who are such examples. HEWs are one of the country’s greatest resources for essential medical care. Each HEW is assigned to a rural health post where she educates women about misoprostol and other important health practices. They often link with traditional midwives and travel from house to house providing miso tablets to women and delivering mothers. In 2011, VSI educated 435 HEWs on misoprostol, allowing more women to receive care wherever they are, and wherever they may deliver.

As we look ahead to 2012 we promise to stay focused on reaching women where they are. With your support, we will continue to bring health solutions like misoprostol tablets to more hard-to-reach communities to make pregnancy and childbirth safer. In 2012 we are also expanding our program to include counseling on postpartum family planning and life-saving postabortion care services. Your partnership in our efforts to improve the lives of women in places where the need is greatest means a lot to us. We hope you will consider renewing your valued contribution. Together we are stronger and can achieve more. 

For more information on VSI, read our recently published Biennial Report, covering programmatic activity and achievements during 2009-2010. The Report encapsulates the mission-driven work of our organization to improve women’s health by increasing access – access to health technologies and essential care.

In a country where 94% of mothers deliver at home, the vast majority without a skilled health provider, trained health extension workers (HEWs) are a desperately needed resource to prevent maternal deaths.  Robey is one of the many HEWs trained by VSI to fill that gap in coverage.

VSI’s Ethiopia program capitalizes on the unique role of these health workers to provide life-saving maternal health services to women living in rural or isolated communities.  During a recent meeting reflecting on the work of HEWs, Robey spoke with our team about her work: “It brings me joy to treat at-risk mothers and cure them.”  Robey and her fellow health workers live alongside the women they care for. They know the suffering firsthand, and they know what their work means to the women of Ethiopia. 

With your support, VSI continues to work with the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health to further formalize the role of women like Robey in the delivery of important maternal health solutions. VSI and its local partners are in the final stages of revising national guidelines for integration of misoprostol tablets at the community level for management of postpartum hemorrhage.  This means all HEWs will be trained on the life-saving medicine misoprostol and more women at the margins will have the chance to survive pregnancy and childbirth.

Links:

• VSI Ethiopia Program

On Wednesday, June 15^th, every donation made to this project will be matched by Global Giving by 30%.  Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference to mothers in Ethiopia.  Every 90 seconds a mother dies during pregnancy or childbirth, and 99% of these deaths take place in developing countries where lack of access to basic medicines and services are taking mothers from their children.

VSI is a nonprofit organization committed to improving women’s health in developing countries by creating access to life-saving and affordable health solutions for all.  Make your dollar stretch by giving a gift on Wednesday and supply life-saving medicines to women most in need.

No matter where you live pregnancy and childbirth should be a cherished and joyous experience, not one of fear.   Thank you to our committed donors who share our dedication to making maternal health an equal right no matter where you live.

Links:

• VSI - Advancing Women's Health