End Hunger for Rural Families in Bangladesh

In last year’s progress report of May 2007, SATU reported on the support of a Medical Assistant to improve health checkups on pregnant mothers and children. This year, SATU is reporting a training that the Medical Assistant, together with SATU’s Project Officer, organized to conduct a 3-day training course on Mother and Child Healthcare to 25 pregnant women.

As a result of this training, the 25 participants can do the following: • explain about the importance of personal and environmental hygiene • describe the activities of maintaining personal and environmental hygiene • clarify the meaning of food & nutrition and food elements • express the importance of food value and food compositions • demonstrate the balanced food preparation • explicate the significant results of family planning including birth spacing and control • identify risks during pregnancy and describe the importance of Anti-natal care • identify the negative consequences (exists) and risks of delivery and explain the importance of post-natal care and safe motherhood • express the importance and techniques of a new born baby care, food and breast feeding especially colostrums • Importance of Mother & Child Vaccination

In the past year, the Medical Assistant identified 162 pregnant mothers through door-to-door visit. Among them, four pregnant mothers were referred to the Government Hospital due to complications at birth. If it wasn’t for the support of the Medical Assistant, these pregnant mothers would not have gone to the hospital in time for a health checkup to address their case.