A woman giving birth alone in a forest is not an unusual story in Myanmar. But now a new Red Cross maternal and child health care programme is delivering much-needed change.
As one of the poorest countries in the world, maternal and child health in Myanmar is among the worst in south-east Asia. Over 70 per cent of deliveries are home births and of those, 43 per cent are not attended by a skilled health worker.
The Myanmar Red Cross, with support from the British Red Cross, has started a new five-year programme, responding to the main obstacles that prevent women from receiving the healthcare they need.
Gregory Rose, health adviser, said: “Following discussions with women in remote parts of Sagaing, access to health care was identified as the most common challenge.
“Women often have to travel by boat to deliver in a health facility, or walk to the next village to seek treatment for their children.”
Out of reach
Moe Khang, from the Sagaing region, gave birth to her baby, Nay, in the forest while out working on the farmland near her home.
With many communities in Myanmar struggling to access clinics, Moe’s story is not unusual and echoes the experience of many other women in the region.
Moe says: ‘“I did not see the midwife until I was already eight months pregnant, and at that time I had severe pain. She helped me adjust the position of the child and the pain stopped.”
The Red Cross is improving access to health services in 75 remote communities by training up to 90 midwives and birth attendants. This will make it easier for women to physically reach the care they need, while removing the cultural and language barriers faced by mothers from different regions.
Sharing knowledge
The programme also focuses on raising awareness of important health practices, which is particularly important given that many of the regions face poor sanitary conditions. Basic knowledge around issues, such as the importance of breastfeeding and the ability to detect signs of risk during pregnancy, can prevent unnecessary disease and save lives.
Through training and the distribution of educational materials, the Red Cross is educating expectant and new mothers on how to identify these risks and treat common diseases, malnutrition and bad nutrition practices.
Gregory says: “This will equip communities with the knowledge to sustain good health care practices which can be passed on to future generations.”