Maternal and Child Health Clinics

Dear Supporter,

I hope this message finds you well! We are delighted to share news of our maternal child health program, which was made possible through your generous support. Here are some exciting milestones achieved between January and May of this year.

As you may know, HopeCore offers both a static clinic and a village-based clinic to support maternal-child health in the community. HopeCore’s static clinic targets children under five years old. The services offered include consultative services, nutrition services, and other preventive services like deworming, vitamin A supplementation, and vaccination. Our village-based MCH program focuses on delivering essential health services at the grassroots level, ensuring that even the most remote communities have access to quality healthcare. The services provided during the village-based MCHs are health education to parents, nutrition assessment, treatment services, antenatal care, and family planning.

During this period, we treated 1,191 under-five children for various ailments, including respiratory illness. We also immunized 213 children, a step in protecting children against serious childhood diseases. 95.6% of the children we have seen are up-to-date on their immunizations. This means that they had received all the intended immunizations appropriate for their age. Not only did we treat illness, but we dewormed and administered vitamin A. Deworming protects children against intestinal worms that cause a range of health concerns in children, while vitamin A is crucial for healthy vision, immune system, and cellular communications.

To support children as they grow, HopeCore offers a nutrition clinic that provides nutrition assessment services and supplements to children under five. We also offer nutrition-related counseling to parents. We monitored 4,523 children for growth milestones and found 366 stunted children and 269 underweight children. Both the stunted and underweight children are receiving follow-up care in the nutrition clinic. So far 13 of these children have been discharged from the clinic after achieving healthy nutrition parameters.

To reach children where they live, we conducted 186 village-based MCH clinics in 186 different villages. 132 mothers received antenatal care, where they were counseled on danger signs, individualized birth plans, nutrition, and the importance of attending ANC visits. We also treated 2,856 children in need of care.

Your generous support has made the above achievements possible. Thank you for being part of this important journey!

Gratefully,

The Village HopeCore team.

Dear Partner,

We trust you have been well since you last heard from us. We are excited to send you our latest update on the progress of our Maternal Child Health (MCH) activities. Here is a glimpse of the MCH program's strides from January to March 2024.

HopeCore treated 774 children under 5 years old at our Static Clinic. Our services include essential care such as treatment of illnesses, nutritional assessments, vaccinations, and growth monitoring. Early detection and treatment prevent complications and ensure a speedy recovery. This quarter alone we immunized 119 children. Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have to protect children from serious, even deadly, diseases. By immunizing 119 children, we helped safeguard them against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, hepatitis B, And other childhood illnesses. HopeCore dewormed 246 children and administered vitamin A to 266 children. Intestinal worms are a common problem in children, leading to malnutrition and stunted growth. Vitamin A deficiency can cause vision problems and increase the risk of infections.

Our nutrition clinic conducted 1,551 growth monitoring sessions both at our clinic and during our village-based MCH clinics, where we treat clients by going directly to each village. Regular growth monitoring tracks a child's weight, height, and head circumference, identifying stunted or underweight children. Identifying any delays allows for early intervention and support. 84 stunted children and 49 underweight children were identified after conducting growth monitoring sessions. Our nutritionists provide personalized guidance in our monthly nutrition clinic, with 7 clients graduating from the nutrition clinics after achieving the right weight.

Village MCH clinics allow children to receive essential care closer to home, reducing travel burdens and increasing access to healthcare. We have held 61 clinics, providing antenatal care to 27 pregnant women and treating 684 children under age 5. We have also empowered 275 clients with family planning services at our static and village-based MCH clinics. By serving these clients with family planning services, we help them choose the number and timing of their children. This reduces the burden on families, allowing them to invest more in each child's well-being. Improve maternal health outcomes. Spacing pregnancies allows mothers' bodies to recover, leading to healthier pregnancies and deliveries, and helps break the cycle of poverty. Smaller families can allocate resources more effectively, improving overall well-being and opportunities.

The Community Health Promoters (CHPs) educated 904 adults on child-related health topics, including childcare practices. These efforts have improved pregnancy outcomes, reduced illness burden among children, and empowered families to plan their pregnancies and improve their overall well-being. Additionally, they have created a culture of health awareness within the community.

All the above has been achieved courtesy of your support. Thank you for being part of this journey!

With sincere gratitude,
Village HopeCore International Clinical Team