This project would bring critical resources such as medical equipment and dedicated training to One Heart World-Wide's efforts to expand accessible maternal and neonatal healthcare in the districts of Taplejung and Khotang in rural Nepal. Simple, integrated interventions such as trained skilled birth attendants and adequately equipped birthing centers prevent the majority of deaths during childbirth.
The districts of Taplejung and Khotang have very few roads, limited access to clean water or electricity, and are home to ethnically diverse mountain and hill groups. Together they average 8,000 pregnancies per year, with less than 20% of these deliveries taking place with a skilled birth attendant present. Estimates of maternal and neonatal mortality in these districts are twice the national average.
The majority of births in Nepal occur in rural areas, as do maternal and neonatal deaths. Working in extremely limited circumstances, we train community health volunteers and skilled birth attendants to share and administer safe birthing practices. We also work with local communities to put up birthing centers to reach the most people. With adequate supplies and innovative applications, we are breaking the cycle of preventable deaths during childbirth and creating happy, healthy families.
Our goal is to educate and encourage expectant mothers to seek modern maternal care and have at least one third of them come into the birthing center for prenatal care visits. Those who come are given prenatal supplements, screened for potential complications, and prepared for delivery with a skilled birth attendant. Among those who deliver at home, we hope to increase the number of women accessing monitoring and care through pregnancy and delivering with a clean birthing kit by at least 50%.
