Teach Traditional Ethiopian Midwives to Save Lives

We are pleased to report that our efforts to educate health care providers in Ethiopia have led to more than 7,000 people trained to use misoprostol tablets for prevention of excessive bleeding after childbirth, or postpartum hemorrhage. In a country where culture and geography contribute to 94% of women delivering at home, the transmission of knowledge on how to use misoprostol to manage postpartum hemorrhage may prove essential in saving the lives of laboring mothers for years to come.

One mother who received misoprostol from a provider we trained told us, “I am overwhelmed with satisfaction by the safe delivery I got taking misoprostol. I’ve had postpartum hemorrhage before, but not this time.”

With our local partners and team taking the lead, we continue to train the young women who are deployed to rural communities by the government to provide primary health care. These health workers previously faced the challenge of providing safe deliveries with minimal supplies and training but are now equipped with a simple to use tablet that clearly benefits the communities they serve. One such health worker recently reported proudly that she had conducted 61 deliveries safely using misoprostol.

Not only are we working diligently to educate health workers in rural villages, but with the obstetrics and gynecological society of Ethiopia we have trained nearly 4,000 students training to be midwives and nurses on misoprostol. By integrating training on misoprostol for postpartum hemorrhage into their regular curriculum, we are contributing to a sustainable improvement in knowledge about a life-saving drug among the men and women who serve families across Ethiopia.

We appreciate the support of those who share our commitment to saving mothers' lives in Ethiopia.