MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

December 2011 | Quarterly Report

MAP International takes a holistic view of Maternal and Child Health. Our programs focus on reproductive health, perinatal care, education, training of health professionals and health promoters, training to prevent child sexual abuse and create safe spaces for children, and support and rehabilitation for victims of sexual abuse. Maternal and child health is also a big component of MAPs Total Health Village program, where education, training, and support for mothers and children is carried out in the context of a holistic, comprehensive development program.

In Cote dIvoire, MAP supports five underserved community maternity centers, located in the district of Abidjan by improving infrastructures, providing medical equipment, supplies and medicines, and training of health workers to deliver quality health care and sustain access to essential medicines. In the past quarter, 11,800 pre- and post-natal health kits were distributed to health centers, which allowed 90% of new mothers to receive prenatal kits and 95% of mothers with newborns received postnatal kits.

In Ecuador, MAP works to foster a healthy understanding of sexuality. Topics like sexual violence and abuse, recognizing boundaries, STDs, gender equality, and human rights are discussed openly with teachers, students, parents, and church leaders, and in a unique peer-to-peer program among youth. In this quarter, 400 teachers were trained in the protection of children against sexual abuse and 8,000 children received information about selfprotective behavior. Additionally, 6,230 families were informed about respectful treatment and relationships within the family structure. Through the peer-to-peer program, 79 teachers were trained in topics of comprehensive sexuality, 412 teenage facilitators were trained in workshops about integral sexuality, teen pregnancy prevention and HIV/AIDS. Additionally, as part of MAPs Total Health Village program, 35 teenagers in the Valle del Toachi Total Health Village were initiated into a program to strengthen self-esteem and an understanding of comprehensive sexuality. They have begun to understand the abusive nature of some relationships and how they can overcome violence and inequality.

In Uganda, MAP programs support several local health facilities by improving infrastructure, training health workers, and supplying the facilities with equipment, supplies, and medicines. There is a special focus on maternal and child health services, including a commitment to improve immunizations for children, provide counseling for mothers with HIV/AIDS and other diseases, and encourage women in the area to utilize the health facilities during and after pregnancy.

In this quarter, 173 women utilized Maternal and Child Health services, and records prove that the number of women seeking Maternal and Child Health services is on a steady rise. Services included ante-natal visits, deliveries, testing and counseling for HIV, and treatment for malaria. Polio and BCG vaccines were administered. In Kenya, MAP has a unique Maternal and Child Health program among the Maasai people. Aside from supporting the local health facility with medicines and supplies, the program trains health promoters from within the Maasai community to spread the message about the dangers of female circumcision, polygamy, child marriages, and the way these cultural practices can affect reproductive and mental health. In this quarter, 9 community health committees and 22 community health workers were trained in holistic health, basic care, and maternal and child health. They will use their skills and knowledge to educate and encourage women in the community to use health facilities and know the health dangers of female circumcision, polygamy, child marriages, and other practices. Additionally, the local health facility was supplied with a delivery bed, a weighing machine, a haemoglobinometer, foetoscopes, smear kits for pap smears, and other testing equipment.

In Bolivia, MAP programs have a special emphasis on child health. In the Chilimarca School, children learn about human rights, health determinants, nutrition, and other important health messages at an early age. The school also serves as a model safe space for children that can be replicated by other schools. At the Center for a Breeze of Hope (CUBE in Spanish) child victims of sexual abuse are provided psychological, physical, emotional, and legal support. In this quarter, MAP Bolivias CUBE program collaborated with the national government of Bolivia to provide information for 20,000 students on neglect, violence, and sexual abuse. The team surpassed this goal and provided information for 27,000 students from 600 different schools. The center provided direct support for 27 victims of sexual abuse. Medical support was given to 17 survivors of sexual abuse, in coordination with the MAP Bolivia clinic, and 7 cases received sentencing. CUBE also organized a National Day of Solidarity with the Victims of Sexual Violence, which was attended by over 3,000 people from organizations, the police force, government authorities, students from universities, and others from nearby communities who joined MAP in expressing their commitment to fight sexual violence.