[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":2626},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f3rEk4njT2qcFkQ5zKP60gRfWKGaxN2a1Yfnr0FYtSOo":3,"$fBgIxsGqNHUG_u-1vryhBzV6JO3pxvfUGxz2OSqb93f0":9,"$fX6yHrO9apMtlZK526Odt6kaezdmv8lC-Pzdp6DcMMB0":454,"$fnVrj0yUZvUmnD1emXK8WBnxZjXKQVtkMNtw6jCiBjDM":527,"$fuKbcfQgjnFCvnTGuKOoiKBXfdv7jk-ovBpAEBxowloI":674,"$fomsE7hpBTqOwPvC0N2Sk5W31cAfY9vOdyqhY8Cmx7Mg":699,"$fUXVxh1hywbAuIYJct9m8dOubroo3213rwqIumkYhzzE":751,"$fCcODxP1M_-xB2TwFkLR8zKTRARcgNt4svELU7rkY8YM":792,"$foBvOA9Xm8flY8J0is9lu9VRFetTUCH5x41hMSlRvQ2s":833,"$fy8SIOXyEdmRDIiwrr_ovJDWy0JK80DI7GxHQ8KkdjIQ":918},{"title":4,"description":5,"backendUrl":6,"frontendUrl":7,"themeScreenshotUrl":8},"Jhpiego","We start with women's health, but we don't stop there.","https://api.jhpiego.org","https://jhpiego.org","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/themes/fuxt-backend/screenshot.png",{"googleAnalytics":10,"socialSharedImage":15,"footerText":108,"footerEmail":109,"footerPhone":110,"footerImage":111,"introVideoBg":192,"searchHeaderImage":247,"":314,"hideFeaturedNewsPost":315,"featuredNewsPost":316,"menuFeaturedNews":373,"showCustomMenuItem":387,"menuFeaturedItem":388},[11,13],{"code":12},"G-MN8NG7QBCQ",{"code":14},"G-RNH48Z0R08",{"id":16,"src":17,"width":18,"height":19,"alt":20,"caption":21,"title":22,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":24,"srcset":25,"sizes":26,"meta":27,"acf":103},1113,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage.jpeg",2048,1367,"","Met the health volunteer Mamadjibeye Sarah, 26, at the Miandoum ACT health clinic to follow her home to work with Sarah who is hoping to go to college and be a nurse. 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She has to walk back and forth to the farm from the village.","Chad-CountryLandingPage","image/jpeg","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage.jpeg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-809x540.jpeg 809w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-375x250.jpeg 375w, 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Kasmauski","NIKON D750","1473510651","2016 Karen Kasmauski","24","800","0.003125",[95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102],"Bebedja","Chad","clinic nurse","farming","health volunteer","malaria","village","water",{"primaryColor":104,"blurhash":105,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":106,"focalPointY":107},"#423f2b","UYD0JtWBWUoJ_4R*axay-=azjGay%MWCaxof","53.4","17.6","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Johns Hopkins\u003Cbr />\nUniversity Affiliate\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://maps.app.goo.gl/oSrmwL2C1hKzPDuEA\" target=\"_blank\">1615 Thames Street\u003Cbr />\nBaltimore, Maryland 21231, USA\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://maps.app.goo.gl/5dbU6KnxynaKwqnk8\" target=\"_blank\">1875 I St NW, 6th Floor\u003Cbr />\nWashington, DC 20006, USA\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n","info@jhpiego.org","410-537-1800",{"id":33,"src":112,"width":113,"height":114,"alt":20,"caption":115,"title":116,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":117,"srcset":118,"sizes":119,"meta":120,"acf":188},"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/80b63f8648129e2500d8baebd7036984.jpeg",4000,2670,"Maichew Town, Lemlem Karl Hospital (built 1991)in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. 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Elyse says ÒI have four children with these two, the others are 11 and 8. My children are spaced because I am using family planning. Before I started using family planning I had two children very close together and both died because I couln't look after them. The midwife in the Health Centre explained to my husband and I then benefits of using family planning so we stared. I am happy that we can now look after the four children we have properlyÓJhpiego has been working in Burkina Faso for the last 22 years, transforming maternal and child healthcare for women and children.","JHPIEGO_BURKINA FASO","\u003Cimg width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header.jpeg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-810x540.jpeg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-960x640.jpeg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-1280x854.jpeg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-1920x1280.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header.jpeg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-810x540.jpeg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-960x640.jpeg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-1280x854.jpeg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Search-Header-1920x1280.jpeg 1920w","(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px",{"width":162,"height":250,"file":257,"filesize":258,"sizes":259,"imageMeta":301},"2025/04/Search-Header.jpeg",652939,{"medium":260,"large":263,"thumbnail":267,"mediumLarge":270,"1536x1536":274,"2048x2048":277,"postThumbnail":281,"socialPreview":285,"smallPreview":288,"mediumPreview":291,"largePreview":295,"fullscreenSmall":298},{"file":261,"width":33,"height":34,"mimeType":23,"filesize":262},"Search-Header-300x200.jpeg",40805,{"file":264,"width":38,"height":265,"mimeType":23,"filesize":266},"Search-Header-1024x683.jpeg",683,164502,{"file":268,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":269},"Search-Header-150x150.jpeg",31471,{"file":271,"width":47,"height":272,"mimeType":23,"filesize":273},"Search-Header-768x512.jpeg",512,110463,{"file":275,"width":52,"height":38,"mimeType":23,"filesize":276},"Search-Header-1536x1024.jpeg",295479,{"file":278,"width":18,"height":279,"mimeType":23,"filesize":280},"Search-Header-2048x1366.jpeg",1366,451818,{"file":282,"width":283,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":284},"Search-Header-810x540.jpeg",810,119505,{"file":286,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":287},"Search-Header-1200x630.jpeg",167119,{"file":289,"width":67,"height":68,"mimeType":23,"filesize":290},"Search-Header-375x250.jpeg",49537,{"file":292,"width":72,"height":293,"mimeType":23,"filesize":294},"Search-Header-960x640.jpeg",640,149615,{"file":296,"width":77,"height":78,"mimeType":23,"filesize":297},"Search-Header-1280x854.jpeg",225514,{"file":299,"width":82,"height":77,"mimeType":23,"filesize":300},"Search-Header-1920x1280.jpeg",410619,{"aperture":302,"credit":303,"camera":304,"caption":251,"createdTimestamp":305,"copyright":303,"focalLength":306,"iso":307,"shutterSpeed":308,"title":252,"orientation":309,"keywords":310},"4.5","KATE HOLT","Canon EOS 5D Mark III","1519805981","35","250","0.033333333333333","1",[],{"primaryColor":312,"blurhash":313},"#997c55","UNIgu,9a?bMy~UR,NfoLx@NfE2%Lt5E2M|Se",null,"true",{"id":317,"guid":318,"title":319,"content":320,"excerpt":321,"excerptRaw":321,"slug":322,"url":323,"uri":324,"to":324,"status":325,"date":326,"modified":327,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":330},8406,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=8406","Dr. Allyson Bear to Lead Jhpiego as New President and CEO","\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Baltimore, MD\u003C/strong> – Johns Hopkins University has announced that Dr. Allyson Bear will be Jhpiego’s next president and CEO. She will assume the role on April 1, 2026.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Bear joins Jhpiego with 25 years of experience in the global health sector, most recently serving as founder and CEO of the Baltimore-based public health consultancy Vennhealth. Throughout her career, she has led strategic and evaluative initiatives that have shaped major global health programs and investments. Notable achievements include revising USAID’s maternal and child health investment frameworks to align with the Sustainable Development Goals, evaluating USAID’s flagship maternal and child health program, and designing a $1 billion successor strategy. In addition, she led the evaluation of the $3.5 billion Feed the Future nutrition portfolio, providing evidence that informed its Congressional reauthorization.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The throughline of Allyson’s professional trajectory has been a profound commitment to alleviating human suffering and promoting human dignity and health for all—a background that aligns deeply with Jhpiego’s longstanding mission to provide access to lifesaving health care where it is needed most,” said Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels in an email to the Johns Hopkins University community. “She brings a proven track record in strategic growth, innovation, and resource mobilization across the global health, economic development, and humanitarian sectors.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Bear began her career focused on global market shaping and scale-up efforts, starting with Gavi’s PneumoADIP and Hib Initiative, where she provided technical assistance to Ministries of Health for vaccine rollout and impact evaluations. From 2009 to 2015, she worked at USAID, leading the development of flagship U.S. Government health initiatives. She has also held leadership positions at Corus International and Abt Associates, managing global health and economic development portfolios across West Africa, francophone Central Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East. Dr. Bear has worked in more than 45 countries worldwide, including 11 years of residence in multiple countries throughout Africa and Asia.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“It has been a privilege to lead Jhpiego over the last 25 years, and I could not be more confident as I pass the baton to Dr. Allyson Bear,” said Dr. Leslie Mancuso, outgoing president and CEO of Jhpiego. “Her commitment to improving global health and her thoughtful, values-driven leadership give me great optimism for the future of the organization.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Bear will succeed Dr. Leslie Mancuso, who has led Jhpiego since 2001 and announced her planned retirement in 2024. Under Dr. Mancuso’s leadership, Jhpiego has evolved from an organization with four core programs focused on family planning and cervical cancer prevention into one of the world’s most respected global health entities, now operating in 39 countries.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To learn more about Dr. Bear, \u003Cstrong>\u003Ca href=\"https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/03/17/allyson-bear-named-jhpiego-president-ceo/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/03/17/allyson-bear-named-jhpiego-president-ceo/\">read the Johns Hopkins University Hub article here.\u003C/a>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Johns Hopkins University has announced that Dr. Allyson Bear will be Jhpiego’s next president and CEO. She will assume the role on April 1, 2026.\u003C/p>\n","allyson-bear-to-lead-jhpiego-as-new-president-and-ceo","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/allyson-bear-to-lead-jhpiego-as-new-president-and-ceo/","/our-stories/p/allyson-bear-to-lead-jhpiego-as-new-president-and-ceo/","publish","2026-03-23T12:01:00","2026-04-20T20:35:51","post",5,{"id":331,"src":332,"width":62,"height":333,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":334,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":335,"srcset":336,"sizes":337,"meta":338,"acf":368},8456,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Allyson-Bear-Announcement_Landscape.jpg",627,"Allyson Bear Announcement_Landscape","\u003Cimg width=\"1200\" height=\"627\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Allyson-Bear-Announcement_Landscape.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Allyson-Bear-Announcement_Landscape.jpg 1200w, 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Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. Jhpiego is working closely with government partners in both countries to support their coordinated response efforts.","https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7463257431758864384/",{"id":392,"src":393,"width":394,"height":82,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":395,"description":20,"mimeType":198,"html":396,"srcset":397,"sizes":398,"meta":399,"acf":451},8842,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Epidemic_Transparent_2.png",2500,"Epidemic_Transparent_2","\u003Cimg width=\"2500\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Epidemic_Transparent_2.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Epidemic_Transparent_2.png 2500w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Epidemic_Transparent_2-300x230.png 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Epidemic_Transparent_2-1024x786.png 1024w, 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Her husband, Martudilah, drove her by motorbike on the 30-minute journey to their public hospital where she gave birth to a premature, underweight boy, Edgar.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Hamriani was much further along—38 weeks. She awoke one night with a throbbing headache and realized she was having contractions. In a borrowed car, her husband took her to their health center where midwives quickly identified the warning signs for pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening hypertensive disorder.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Desi was 40 weeks pregnant and ready to have her baby. But after delivering her son, the placenta failed to follow, and Desi began bleeding heavily.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Three births. Three serious complications. Three opportunities to ensure a pregnant woman survived childbirth.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3420\" style=\"width:508px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k.jpg 1365w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26952296319_d4c04a1e09_k-1280x1920.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1365px) 100vw, 1365px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Restiani swaddled her newborn son to her chest, adopting a skin-to-skin contact method that helps premature babies thrive.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>The experiences of Restiani, Hamriani and Desi are not unique. Throughout Indonesia, complications at birth continue to threaten the lives of women and their babies. The number of maternal and newborn deaths in Indonesia remains unacceptably high and, by some indications, has increased. From 2007 to 2012, for example, Indonesia’s estimated maternal mortality ratio increased from 228 to 359 deaths for every 100,000 births.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>These three women, fortunately, survived pregnancy and childbirth with the help of the Expanding Maternal and Neonatal Survival (EMAS) program that was launched by the government of Indonesia through the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). EMAS, a program led by Jhpiego, works across the health system from village center to hospital to strengthen business practices, supervision and oversight of health service providers and the skills of individual midwives.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The EMAS program helps train health workers to recognize and manage complicated labors like those Desi and Hamriani experienced. Twice a month, the midwives and nurses at Hamriani’s health center practice emergency drills to ensure that they’re always confident and ready to take action when the need arises. In fact, the very same day that Hamriani arrived at her health center with pre-eclampsia, midwives there had just completed a skill-building session on addressing pregnancy-related high blood pressure and its impact on mother and child. With skills fresh on their minds, the midwives worked together as a team, each managing a different aspect of Hamriani’s difficult labor. An hour later, she gave birth to a healthy baby.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3422\" style=\"width:508px\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k-1280x1920.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/38695872642_efb46819d7_k.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An EMAS-supported emergency text messaging referral system got Desi the help she needed to survive severe bleeding after birth.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"has-text-align-left\"> For Desi, even those skills weren’t enough—she needed to be referred to the nearby public hospital. Through EMAS, an emergency text message-based referral system was in place, so the staff of the referral hospital was ready with the right blood type for transfusion, key supplies and the necessary intervention for Desi when she arrived.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Restiani’s case, her newborn son Edgar needed attention. He was taken into intensive care immediately after birth and stabilized. Midwives showed Restiani how to hold him skin-to-skin to transfer body warmth—an intervention called kangaroo mother care, which has been shown to increase a baby’s weight, prevent hypothermia and create a bond between parents and their newborn. Every day, Restiani swaddled Edgar against her chest. Today, they’re both safe and healthy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>USAID’s EMAS program works in 30 districts and cities, which include 150 hospitals and 300 health centers, to ensure that pregnant women like Hamriani, Desi and Restiani survive childbirth and deliver healthy babies.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>From encouraging expectant mothers to give birth at a health facility to ensuring that health workers have the skills and confidence to manage complicated births, EMAS is helping build bright futures for mothers, newborns and families across Indonesia.\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Three births. Three serious complications. Three opportunities to ensure a pregnant woman survived childbirth.\u003C/p>\n","three-births-three-complications-three-lives-saved","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/three-births-three-complications-three-lives-saved/","/our-stories/p/three-births-three-complications-three-lives-saved/","2016-01-21T19:09:58","2025-08-21T13:34:07",{"id":846,"src":847,"width":848,"height":849,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":850,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":851,"srcset":852,"sizes":853,"meta":854,"acf":879},3700,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image.jpg",773,623,"Story-three births-Feature Image","\u003Cimg width=\"773\" height=\"623\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image.jpg 773w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image-300x242.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image-768x619.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image-670x540.jpg 670w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image-375x302.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 773px) 100vw, 773px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image.jpg 773w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image-300x242.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image-768x619.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image-670x540.jpg 670w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image-375x302.jpg 375w","(max-width: 773px) 100vw, 773px",{"width":848,"height":849,"file":855,"filesize":856,"sizes":857,"imageMeta":877},"2025/08/Story-three-births-Feature-Image.jpg",51099,{"medium":858,"thumbnail":862,"mediumLarge":865,"postThumbnail":869,"smallPreview":873},{"file":859,"width":33,"height":860,"mimeType":23,"filesize":861},"Story-three-births-Feature-Image-300x242.jpg",242,15239,{"file":863,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":864},"Story-three-births-Feature-Image-150x150.jpg",6625,{"file":866,"width":47,"height":867,"mimeType":23,"filesize":868},"Story-three-births-Feature-Image-768x619.jpg",619,69307,{"file":870,"width":871,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":872},"Story-three-births-Feature-Image-670x540.jpg",670,56239,{"file":874,"width":67,"height":875,"mimeType":23,"filesize":876},"Story-three-births-Feature-Image-375x302.jpg",302,21649,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":878},[],{"primaryColor":880,"blurhash":881},"#6c6f65","UJHK?=%$0rTH0q$x~3IW%fE2wd$4.6a$Icxp",{"category":883,"postTag":895,"postFormat":314,"areaOfExpertiseTax":906,"expertsTag":314},[884,889],{"id":885,"name":886,"slug":887,"parent":314,"uri":888,"to":888},20,"Asia","asia","/our-stories/c/asia/",{"id":890,"name":891,"slug":892,"parent":893,"uri":894,"to":894},115,"Indonesia","indonesia",{"id":885,"name":886,"slug":887,"parent":314,"uri":888,"to":888},"/our-stories/c/asia/indonesia/",[896,901,904],{"id":897,"name":898,"slug":899,"parent":314,"uri":900,"to":900},99,"Maternal Health","maternal-health","/our-stories/c/maternal-health/",{"id":902,"name":649,"slug":903,"parent":314,"uri":654,"to":654},94,"primary-health-care",{"id":43,"name":693,"slug":905,"parent":314,"uri":697,"to":697},"story",[907,910],{"id":908,"name":547,"slug":909,"parent":314,"uri":551,"to":551},141,"family-planning-reproductive-health",{"id":911,"name":622,"slug":912,"parent":314,"uri":627,"to":627},181,"maternal-newborn-and-child-health",{"credits":914},[915],{"role":916,"name":917},"Author","Syane Luntungan",[919,1004,1015,1087,1175,1229,1305,1364,1424,1499,1558,1619,1675,1739,1779,1790,1860,1903,1964,2023,2084,2144,2204,2245,2300,2354,2402,2485,2544,2582,2614],{"id":920,"guid":921,"title":922,"content":923,"excerpt":924,"excerptRaw":924,"slug":925,"url":926,"uri":927,"to":927,"status":325,"date":928,"modified":929,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":930},8822,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=8822","From Shame to Strength: A Story of Pregnancy, Survival, and Hope in the DRC","\n\u003Cp>It was unexpected, the news that shocked us all.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Within my family home, words became a weapon. My father overwhelmed me with verbal abuse, condemning me every chance he got, while my mother’s cries echoed through the house: “You have gone too far, my daughter.” Their words, and then their silence, were sharp as blades that eventually convinced me I was a mistake.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>My name is Soki Buyana Cemonde. I am 28 years old and I live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8826\" style=\"width:403px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-1280x1920.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-2560x3840.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-3840x5760.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-1-rotated.jpg 4640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Two years ago, I was a carefree young woman, the pride of my parents and a well-regarded member of my community, working as a receptionist for a local company. As the eldest of four siblings, we shared a modest life, yet one built on an unwavering bond. Then, a single encounter changed everything. A look, an approach, and suddenly the unforeseen happened: I became pregnant. At that exact moment, the entire course of my life was altered.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Paralyzed by shame and fleeing the community’s gaze which felt like a public trial, I chose solitude. I only ventured out under the cover of night. This wall of isolation, coupled with the fear of being judged by medical staff, kept me from seeking health care. I avoided community outreach workers, sacrificing my own health and access to essential prenatal services because of the stigma I felt from my parents and feared from others. I found myself alone and vulnerable because society had stripped me of my right to dignity.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Then one day, I heard a message on the radio. A health worker sharing information about the dangers of missing prenatal check-upsand the importance of learning about  life-threatening risks such as  postpartum hemorrhage or severe bleeding after birth that can have deadly consequences, and where to receive important check-ups and tests to ensure both my baby and I were healthy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Like a powerful wake-up call, those radio spots and songs took over my mind. Those broadcasts weren’t just ads; they were the spark I needed. They turned my hesitation into a firm resolve to protect my future and my baby.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I went to a nearby health facility. The health workers there were supported by AMPLI-PPHI project [funded by Unitaid and led by Jhpiego in partnership with FIGO and PATH]. Although I had missed the first trimester check-ups, qualified staff performed necessary exams, such as HIV and blood group testing. They administered important vaccinations given during pregnancy such as the Tetanus vaccine, and provided me with essential education on nutrition, birth preparedness, and the early detection of danger signs, transforming my pregnancy into a safe and informed journey. As my due date approached, I felt prepared.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>On the big day, life gave me the greatest gift: a beautiful baby girl.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8827\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-1280x1920.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-2560x3840.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-3840x5760.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-2-rotated.jpg 4640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8824\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-1280x1920.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-2560x3840.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-3840x5760.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-6-rotated.jpg 4640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Immediately after the baby was delivered, I was given an injection which the midwife explained was heat-stable carbetocin to enable my uterus to contract and prevent bleeding. However, that joy nearly turned into tragedy. A few hours after delivery, I began to bleed severely. Instantly, the entire medical team sprang into action. Because my doctor had informed and prepared me, I understood exactly what was happening. They administered life-saving treatment, which I later learned was MOTIVE, a bundle of actions and medications given all at the same time that have been proven to be an effective treatment for postpartum hemorrhage [uterine massage, oxytocic drugs, tranexamic acid, IV fluids, and examination, has been proven to be effective in the treatment of PPH.]\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Thanks to this bundled treatment, the bleeding stopped. My life was saved.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The medical team also taught me how to care for the baby, including nutrition advice, such as exclusive breastfeeding, and the recommended vaccinations. I was also offered family planning advice.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>My daughter, Soki Nzoli Gracy, is now 17 months old. She is my pure joy. I share this happiness with my parents who, through the mediation of community leaders involved with the AMPLI-PPHI project, came to see me not as a source of shame, but as a beacon of resilience.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Now they are convinced that my journey can serve as a powerful catalyst for change and an inspiration for every girl and woman in our community.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I am sharing my story so that every woman knows that access to information and medication can change a destiny.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A mother’s life should never end while giving life.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Unitaid-funded Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact (\u003Ca href=\"https://jhpiego.org/areas-of-expertise/ampli-pphi/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/a>) project is a four-year (2022–2026), $26 million initiative to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity from postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). Jhpiego is leading AMPLI-PPHI in partnership with PATH and the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), which aims to generate evidence and learning, create an enabling environment, and prepare the market to enable broad uptake of newly recommend PPH products – heat-stable carbetocin to prevent PPH, calibrated drapes to detect PPH, tranexamic acid as part of the MOTIVE bundle to treat PPH and misoprostol for administration in home births across low- and middle-income countries. Working in close partnership with governments from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, India, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia – with complimentary funding from the European Union’s Safe Birth Africa Initiative (a joint Unitaid-UNFPA venture and a Global Gateway Flagship Project) and the Gates Foundation –  AMPLI-PPHI supports countries to ensure that the right PPH medications are available at the right time, in the right place, for the right indication, and for the right patient across health systems, ultimately reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Fabrice Witanday is the Communications and Advocacy Officer for Jhpiego in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Elaine Roman is the Project Director for AMPLI-PPHI.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Pregnant Soki Buyana Cemonde felt isolated until she heard a radio campaign encouraging her to seek prenatal services. The care she received through the AMPLI-PPHI project helped her have a safe delivery and survive postpartum hemorrhage.\u003C/p>\n","shame-to-strength","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/shame-to-strength/","/our-stories/p/shame-to-strength/","2026-06-03T18:33:10","2026-06-08T15:00:09",{"id":931,"src":932,"width":933,"height":934,"alt":20,"caption":935,"title":936,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":937,"srcset":938,"sizes":939,"meta":940,"acf":1001},8825,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-rotated.jpg",4640,6960,"Soki Buyana Cemonde. Photo by Fabrice Witanday for Jhpiego.","Soki Buyana Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice Witanday (7)","\u003Cimg width=\"4640\" height=\"6960\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-rotated.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-rotated.jpg 4640w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, 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4640px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-rotated.jpg 4640w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1280x1920.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-2560x3840.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-3840x5760.jpg 3840w","(max-width: 4640px) 100vw, 4640px",{"width":933,"height":934,"file":941,"filesize":942,"sizes":943,"imageMeta":992,"originalImage":1000},"2026/06/Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-rotated.jpg",3262263,{"medium":944,"large":947,"thumbnail":950,"mediumLarge":953,"1536x1536":957,"2048x2048":960,"postThumbnail":964,"socialPreview":968,"smallPreview":971,"mediumPreview":975,"largePreview":978,"fullscreenSmall":981,"fullscreen":985,"fullscreenLarge":988},{"file":945,"width":34,"height":33,"mimeType":23,"filesize":946},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-200x300.jpg",66886,{"file":948,"width":265,"height":38,"mimeType":23,"filesize":949},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-683x1024.jpg",208740,{"file":951,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":952},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-150x150.jpg",54032,{"file":954,"width":47,"height":955,"mimeType":23,"filesize":956},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-768x1152.jpg",1152,241138,{"file":958,"width":38,"height":52,"mimeType":23,"filesize":959},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1024x1536.jpg",350358,{"file":961,"width":962,"height":18,"mimeType":23,"filesize":963},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1365x2048.jpg",1365,518319,{"file":965,"width":966,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":967},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-360x540.jpg",360,103861,{"file":969,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":970},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1200x630.jpg",178698,{"file":972,"width":67,"height":973,"mimeType":23,"filesize":974},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-375x563.jpg",563,108081,{"file":976,"width":72,"height":196,"mimeType":23,"filesize":977},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-960x1440.jpg",321666,{"file":979,"width":77,"height":82,"mimeType":23,"filesize":980},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1280x1920.jpg",473889,{"file":982,"width":82,"height":983,"mimeType":23,"filesize":984},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-1920x2880.jpg",2880,832135,{"file":986,"width":162,"height":167,"mimeType":23,"filesize":987},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-2560x3840.jpg",1259104,{"file":989,"width":167,"height":990,"mimeType":23,"filesize":991},"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7-3840x5760.jpg",5760,2332585,{"aperture":993,"credit":20,"camera":994,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":995,"copyright":20,"focalLength":996,"iso":997,"shutterSpeed":998,"title":20,"orientation":459,"keywords":999},"5","Canon EOS 90D","1709048613","64","100","0.008",[],"Soki-Buyana-Cemonde_DRC_2026_Fabrice-Witanday-7.jpg",{"primaryColor":1002,"blurhash":1003,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":20,"focalPointY":20},"#53633d","UFE{?#VYE,pT~VITyCInTnNF-pS[PKbIm:%L",{"id":1005,"guid":1006,"title":1007,"content":1008,"excerpt":1009,"excerptRaw":20,"slug":1010,"url":1011,"uri":1012,"to":1012,"status":325,"date":1013,"modified":1014,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":314},8803,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=8803","Unitaid and Jhpiego welcome the Government of Kenya’s US$7.8 million commitment to scale up lifesaving care for mothers and newborns","\n\u003Cp>The Government of Kenya will scale up essential products used to prevent and diagnose the leading cause of death of mothers during childbirth, as part of a US$7.8 million (KES 1 billion) effort to accelerate maternal and newborn care.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This will expand access to two key products that help health workers detect and prevent life-threatening bleeding after birth, known as postpartum hemorrhage: heat-stable carbetocin, a high-quality medicine that prevents postpartum hemorrhage and, unlike alternative products, does not require cold-chain storage and the calibrated drape, which supports healthcare workers to objectively measure blood loss and quickly link women in need with emergency care.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although Kenya has made significant progress in reducing maternal mortality over the past two decades, approximately 5,000 women still die from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes each year. Severe bleeding during pregnancy, childbirth or shortly after delivery, accounts for about 40% of these deaths.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Building on previous investments, domestic funding will now cover the purchase of 1.5 million doses of heat-stable carbetocin and 1.5 million calibrated drapes – enough to cover all women giving birth in the public sector in Kenya for up to two years.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“At a time when many countries are facing difficult choices in health spending, Kenya’s commitment to invest in quality maternal care is especially encouraging,” said Janet Ginnard, Unitaid’s Director of Strategy. “Ensuring access to effective medicines and tools not only saves women’s lives, it also strengthens health systems and reduces the need for costly emergency care.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Delivered as part of a package of care, the calibrated drape and heat-stable carbetocin have driven major reductions in deaths caused by postpartum hemorrhage across demonstration sites in Kenya in recent years.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Since 2022, Jhpiego and Unitaid have worked with the Government of Kenya through the \u003Ca href=\"https://jhpiego.org/areas-of-expertise/ampli-pphi/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AMPLI-PPHI program\u003C/a> to introduce a comprehensive package of postpartum hemorrhage prevention, diagnosis and treatment tools. Program sites in 36 high-volume healthcare facilities in Makueni County demonstrated the impact of these tools in reducing bleeding, referrals and blood transfusions – reducing postpartum hemorrhage deaths to zero by 2023.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The success in those sites sparked county-wide scale up. In November 2024, Makueni County expanded the intervention to all 243 maternity sites across the county. Between 2022 and 2025, postpartum hemorrhage deaths across the county fell by about two-thirds.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“Kenya is taking decisive action to prevent postpartum hemorrhage, one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in our country,” said Dr. Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Ministry of Health of Kenya. “By investing in proven medicines and tools and scaling them nationwide, we are strengthening the quality of care for mothers and ensuring more women survive childbirth. We thank all our partners who stand with us in this effort.”\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Through AMPLI-PPHI, Unitaid and Jhpiego have contributed to broader efforts to enable national scale-up by strengthening policies, supply chains and provider training. National quantification supported through AMPLI-PPHI enabled a landmark government procurement of 360,000 doses of heat-stable carbetocin, unlocking a global access price of about US$0.74 (KES 95) compared to the private sector price of approximately US$21 (KES 2700) and making large-scale rollout financially feasible.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“What we have seen in Kenya demonstrates that when health workers are equipped with the right medicines, tools and training, they can dramatically improve outcomes for mothers,” said Paul Nyachae, Jhpiego Country Director, Kenya. “It is inspiring to see strong national leadership backing interventions that are proven to save lives.”\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Kenya’s commitment was announced in advance of the \u003Ca href=\"https://imnhc2026.org/\">International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC)\u003C/a> in Nairobi next week (23-26 March) and marks an important step in Kenya’s efforts to strengthen maternal care and accelerate progress toward ending preventable maternal deaths.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>AMPLI-PPHI (Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investment for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact) is a US$26 million global initiative (2022–2026) funded by Unitaid and led by Jhpiego in partnership with PATH and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). The program works with governments in Africa and Asia to accelerate the adoption and scale-up of lifesaving postpartum hemorrhage interventions, helping ensure that the right medicines and tools reach women at the right time during childbirth.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About Unitaid\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Unitaid saves lives by making new health products affordable and available in low- and middle-income countries. Collaborating with partners, Unitaid identifies innovative treatments, tackles market barriers, and quickly delivers solutions to those in need. Since 2006, Unitaid has unlocked over 100 health products, addressing HIV, TB, malaria, women’s and children’s health, and pandemic preparedness. Every year, these products benefit more than 300 million people. Unitaid is a hosted partnership of the World Health Organization. www.unitaid.org\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About Jhpiego\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego is a global health nonprofit with more than 50 years of experience innovating to save the lives of women, men, and families around the world. Originally established in 1973 as the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics, Jhpiego has since evolved into a multidimensional organization with active programming in over 30 countries. In partnership with national governments, health experts, and local communities, Jhpiego creates and delivers transformative health care solutions that build providers’ skills, strengthen health systems, and ensure equitable access to high-quality, lifesaving care for all—regardless of location.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>For further information or media inquiries, please contact:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Unitaid:\u003C/strong> Kyle Wilkinson, +41 79 445 17 45, \u003Ca href=\"mailto:wilkinsonk@unitaid.who.int\">wilkinsonk@unitaid.who.int\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Jhpiego:\u003C/strong> Naomi Downey, +1 646-418-6596, \u003Ca href=\"mailto:Naomi.Downey@jhpiego.org\">Naomi.Downey@jhpiego.org\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>The Government of Kenya will scale up essential products used to prevent and diagnose the leading cause of death of…\u003C/p>\n","unitaid-and-jhpiego-welcome-the-government-of-kenyas-us7-8-million-commitment-to-scale-up-lifesaving-care-for-mothers-and-newborns","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/unitaid-and-jhpiego-welcome-the-government-of-kenyas-us7-8-million-commitment-to-scale-up-lifesaving-care-for-mothers-and-newborns/","/our-stories/p/unitaid-and-jhpiego-welcome-the-government-of-kenyas-us7-8-million-commitment-to-scale-up-lifesaving-care-for-mothers-and-newborns/","2026-03-20T17:23:00","2026-06-02T18:08:15",{"id":1016,"guid":1017,"title":1018,"content":1019,"excerpt":1020,"excerptRaw":1020,"slug":1021,"url":1022,"uri":1023,"to":1023,"status":325,"date":1024,"modified":1025,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":1026},7617,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=7617","Early Detection and Community Power to End Preeclampsia and Eclampsia","\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Joan Nduta: Four months ago, my friend lost her sister and her sister’s unborn child to high blood pressure complications in pregnancy – it was her first baby and would have been her parents’ first granddaughter. A tragic loss for this family and community. We later heard that the condition was not detected early and therefore not managed promptly and effectively as the obstetric emergency that it was. \u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Troubled by the news, I sought answers from my colleague Isabella Atieno (also known as Bella), an experienced midwife, public health practitioner, and clinical trainer, to understand how such tragedies can be prevented, identified, and treated.\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Joan Nduta (JN): Bella, why is blood pressure monitoring so crucial during pregnancy?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Bella Atieno (BA): High blood pressure that starts in pregnancy is often silent, but it can lead to two serious conditions – preeclampsia and eclampsia. Preeclampsia develops after 20 weeks and is marked by high blood pressure and organ damage. When it worsens, it can progress to eclampsia, causing seizures and endangering both mother and baby. While the causes of preeclampsia/eclampsia are not well understood, we do know that certain girls and women are at increased risk of developing these conditions: women who are pregnant for the first time; women with twins or triplets, women with higher body weights, women with a past personal or family history of preeclampsia, and women with pre-existing conditions like hypertension, diabetes, or kidney disease.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>High blood pressure can lead to serious complications for the mother and baby and hence, consistent prenatal care is essential for monitoring and managing potential risk factors. Preeclampsia and eclampsia claim up to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/pre-eclampsia\">25% of mothers lives in Latin America and 10% in Africa and Asia\u003C/a>, and are among the top killers of mothers and babies worldwide, hitting low- and middle-income countries the hardest (WHO pre-eclampsia fact sheet, 2025).\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7655\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53083302932_623e5f04e9_k.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pregnant women learn how to take blood pressure readings during  a Group Antenatal Care (G-ANC) session from a health worker at the Kagundo Level 4 Hospital in Machakos County, Kenya. Photo by Lameck Ododo for Jhpiego.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">JN: \u003Cstrong>What can help mitigate these complications?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>BA: Strong community-based actions such as early detection, prevention, and timely referrals can support effective identification and management and prevent these deaths. Evidence from Kenya shows that the prevalence of preeclampsia ranges from 5.6% to 6.5%, affecting women during antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal periods (Ndwiga et al., 2020).\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In response, Jhpiego has been working with Kenya’s Ministry of Health and prioritized strengthening provider capacity and increasing community awareness to improve the prevention, early detection, and prompt management of preeclampsia and eclampsia in Vihiga and Homa Bay Counties, together with ensuring that essential medicines to treat preeclampsia and eclampsia – like antihypertensive medications and magnesium sulfate – are available. The goal of Kenya’s community health strategy (2020-2025) is to improve public health and strengthen community-based services. It seeks to empower individuals, families, and communities to sustain resilient community health structures.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A case study conducted in Mozambique demonstrated that task-sharing with community health workers (CHWs) is feasible for early detection and referral of women with pre-eclampsia (\u003Ca href=\"https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-021-01192-x\">Sevene et al. (2021)\u003C/a>. It showed that CHWs can be trained to perform blood pressure measurement and urine protein testing (measures needed to accurately diagnose pre-eclampsia), assess for dangers signs like severe headache, blurry vision, and upper abdominal pain, and initiate timely referral of women with suspected pre-eclampsia. Although definitive treatment must take place in health facilities, community-based strategies like mapping pregnant women, strengthening linkages with health facilities, and encouraging antenatal care visits increase early diagnosis, timely referral, and emergency management. With adequate support and supervision, CHWs can safely expand their roles to bridge gaps between households and health services, ultimately improving maternal and newborn outcomes.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>JN:\u003C/strong> \u003Cstrong>Are there practical steps families and communities can take?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>BA: Health systems often focus on facility-based management, but community-level actions can be equally transformative and life-saving. They help bridge gaps in access, awareness, and care-seeking behaviors. This could be achieved through strategies such as community health education and awareness on danger signs of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (like high blood pressure, headache, blurred vision, proteinuria, etc.) and training CHWs to identify risk factors early. These community workers could be provided with simple blood pressure machines, urine dipsticks for protein screening, and the referral of suspected cases for timely management.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7656\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/53084292970_d310ad4241_k.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nurse Winfred Mwikali Wanzuu teaches pregnant women how to take blood pressure readings during a G-ANC session at the Kagundo Level 4 Hospital in Machakos County, Kenya. Photo by Lameck Ododo for Jhpiego.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">JN: \u003Cstrong>Sometimes antenatal visits feel rushed. Why does it matter that each one counts?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>BA: Antenatal care is more than a checklist. It should never be rushed. Every visit is an opportunity to look deeper into a mother’s overall physical and mental health, support optimal nutrition, prevent and assess for infections and other conditions that impact a woman and baby’s health and wellbeing, and spot early warning signs. It’s not a waste of time as some would think. When health professionals take time and remain alert, conditions like preeclampsia and eclampsia can be detected and managed before they become life-threatening. Slowing down antenatal care is about giving every mother and baby the best chance to survive and thrive. Group-based models of care in pregnancy are one way to support such a comprehensive approach.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">JN: \u003Cstrong>What else can be done to prevent complications and support safe pregnancies?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>BA: The World Health Organization recommends calcium supplementation (1.5–2.0 g/day) for pregnant women in populations with low dietary calcium to reduce preeclampsia risk (WHO 2016). Community awareness of common danger signs is also critical and families should be encouraged to develop birth preparedness and complication readiness plans. For example, identifying a skilled birth attendant, arranging transport to a health facility, saving money for emergencies, and knowing potential blood donors.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">JN: \u003Cstrong>How can families and communities work together to make a difference?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>BA: By working together, families and community health workers can ensure that pregnant women receive timely care, reducing delays that often lead to preventable deaths. Exploring ways such as pooling resources to fund community outreach for families in hard-to-reach areas. These efforts make it possible to scale up proven responses such as integrating maternal and child health services – which has shown to reduce missed opportunities and save time for mothers. Over time, such actions improve newborn care and trust in the health system. The results: women and families feel supported throughout pregnancy and beyond.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>JN: No mother or child should die from conditions we can detect early and manage effectively. Let’s work together to ensure that such losses do not happen again. Community-based responses are acts of love and duties of care. I am part of this community and hold hope that the health of mothers, their babies, and our shared legacies will continue to thrive. Rest in peace S and T, your story will continue to inspire safer beginnings for others.\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>High blood pressure can lead to serious complications for a mother and baby. Consistent prenatal care is essential for monitoring and managing potential risk factors. But what can the community do to help?\u003C/p>\n","early-detection-and-community-power-to-end-preeclampsia-and-eclampsia","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/early-detection-and-community-power-to-end-preeclampsia-and-eclampsia/","/our-stories/p/early-detection-and-community-power-to-end-preeclampsia-and-eclampsia/","2025-11-24T08:54:16","2025-11-25T15:48:25",{"id":1027,"src":1028,"width":1029,"height":1030,"alt":20,"caption":1031,"title":1032,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1033,"srcset":1034,"sizes":1035,"meta":1036,"acf":1084},7649,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641.jpg",1614,1153,"Mary Umbugale guides Ashedzi Wasku, 25, as she checks the blood pressure of Mercy Samuel, 29, during a GANC class at General Hospital Akwanga in Nigeria. Photo by Paul Joseph Brown for Jhpiego.","Nigeria_2017.","\u003Cimg width=\"1614\" height=\"1153\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641.jpg 1614w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-300x214.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-1024x732.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-768x549.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-756x540.jpg 756w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-375x268.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-960x686.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-1280x914.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1614px) 100vw, 1614px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641.jpg 1614w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-300x214.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-1024x732.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-768x549.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-756x540.jpg 756w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-375x268.jpg 375w, 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1614px",{"width":1029,"height":1030,"file":1037,"filesize":1038,"sizes":1039,"imageMeta":1081},"2025/11/Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641.jpg",408303,{"medium":1040,"large":1044,"thumbnail":1048,"mediumLarge":1051,"1536x1536":1055,"postThumbnail":1059,"socialPreview":1063,"smallPreview":1066,"mediumPreview":1070,"largePreview":1074,"fullscreenSmall":1078},{"file":1041,"width":33,"height":1042,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1043},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-300x214.jpg",214,26561,{"file":1045,"width":38,"height":1046,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1047},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-1024x732.jpg",732,178659,{"file":1049,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1050},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-150x150.jpg",12885,{"file":1052,"width":47,"height":1053,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1054},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-768x549.jpg",549,112765,{"file":1056,"width":52,"height":1057,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1058},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-1536x1097.jpg",1097,347730,{"file":1060,"width":1061,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1062},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-756x540.jpg",756,110547,{"file":1064,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1065},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-1200x630.jpg",183032,{"file":1067,"width":67,"height":1068,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1069},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-375x268.jpg",268,37096,{"file":1071,"width":72,"height":1072,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1073},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-960x686.jpg",686,160887,{"file":1075,"width":77,"height":1076,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1077},"Nigeria_2017-e1764085697641-1280x914.jpg",914,256955,{"file":1079,"width":82,"height":77,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1080},"Nigeria_2017-1920x1280.jpg",481138,{"aperture":86,"credit":1082,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":1083},"paul Joseph Brown/globalhealthph",[],{"primaryColor":1085,"blurhash":1086},"#b69266","UaJtI?tSIUIA~AWER+smr:RjsSo#$dNvWBkC",{"id":1088,"guid":1089,"title":1090,"content":1091,"excerpt":1092,"excerptRaw":1092,"slug":1093,"url":1094,"uri":1095,"to":1095,"status":325,"date":1096,"modified":1097,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":1098},7561,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=7561","Dr. Lucy Achieng: A Lifeline in the Operating Room","\n\u003Cp>Dr. Lucy Achieng has been working as a Medical Officer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology department at the Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya for the past three years.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"744\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1024x744.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7562\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1024x744.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-300x218.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-768x558.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1536x1115.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-2048x1487.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-744x540.jpg 744w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-375x272.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-960x697.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1280x929.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1920x1394.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-2560x1859.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-3840x2788.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE.jpg 5178w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Lucy Achieng. Photo by Frank Kimaro for Jhpiego.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“My work means a lot to me because I get to support pregnant women, new mothers, and their families through some of the most important moments in their lives. I’m dedicated to making sure every pregnancy is safe and every mother and baby have the best possible start.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Her deep passion for maternal and child health, and her desire to make a tangible impact through dedication and expertise, drew her to obstetrics.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"950\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-1024x950.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7563\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-1024x950.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-300x278.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-768x713.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-1536x1425.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-2048x1901.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-582x540.jpg 582w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-375x348.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-960x891.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-1280x1188.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-1920x1782.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-2560x2376.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19-3840x3564.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-19.jpg 4502w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>On a weekly basis, Dr. Achieng performs 20 to 30 cesarean sections. “I strive to reduce maternal and infant mortality, promote healthy families, and create a supportive and safe experience for every mother I serve.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To do that, she must stay up to date on evidence-based care. She is deeply engaged with Jhpiego’s efforts to improve surgical safety for mothers and to provide a positive care experience for them and their families. Through the Obstetric Safe Surgery (OSS) project, funded by the Global Surgery Foundation, Jhpiego partners with the Ministry of Health (Division of Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health), Nakuru County Government, and Kijabe Hospital to strengthen surgical teams and reduce cesarean-related complications.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Achieng regularly reviews the Jhpiego OSS training materials and provides high-quality care, while rigorously following infection prevention practices and the surgical safety checklist, which have significantly improved patient outcomes in her facility.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"817\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-1024x817.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7564\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-1024x817.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-300x239.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-768x613.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-1536x1225.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-2048x1634.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-677x540.jpg 677w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-375x299.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-960x766.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-1280x1021.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-1920x1531.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-2560x2042.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22-3840x3063.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-22.jpg 5263w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“When a surgery is successful and both mother and baby are healthy, it fills me with profound gratitude and purpose. It’s a reminder of why I chose this path.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"694\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-1024x694.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7566\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-1024x694.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-300x203.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-768x521.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-1536x1041.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-2048x1389.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-796x540.jpg 796w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-375x254.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-960x651.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-1280x868.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-1920x1302.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-2560x1736.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49-3840x2603.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-49.jpg 5186w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Putting practices introduced by Jhpiego into action has made a real difference. Through her work, she’s championed infection prevention practices and the surgical safety checklist—changes that have led to fewer surgical site infections and stronger teamwork among staff. With the infection prevention package—including preventive antibiotics, vaginal cleansing, and proper skin preparation—her facility has seen a clear reduction in infections. Using the surgical safety checklist more consistently has also brought her team closer and improved how they work together.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"940\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-1024x940.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7594\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-1024x940.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-300x275.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-768x705.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-1536x1410.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-2048x1880.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-588x540.jpg 588w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-375x344.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-960x881.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-1280x1175.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-1920x1763.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-2560x2351.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55-3840x3526.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-55.jpg 4229w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Achieng believes seamless communication and timely decision-making are essential to ensuring positive outcomes. She emphasizes that patient safety is paramount and achieving it requires strong teamwork in the operating room.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"709\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-1024x709.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7565\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-1024x709.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-300x208.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-768x532.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-1536x1064.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-2048x1419.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-779x540.jpg 779w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-375x260.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-960x665.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-1280x887.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-1920x1330.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-2560x1774.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48-3840x2661.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-48.jpg 4864w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Her field stands as a powerful blend of technical skill, emotional connection, and lifelong impact.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Let your hand be steady, your mind sharp, and your heart full,” she says. “Surgery isn’t just about saving lives; it’s about honoring the trust placed in you to do so.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Frank Kimaro is a Manager for Communications, Branding, and Knowledge Management in Jhpiego’s Tanzania office. \u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Lisa Noguchi is the Director for Maternal and Newborn Health\u003C/em> \u003Cem>at Jhpiego\u003C/em>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Dr. Lucy Achieng has been working as a Medical Officer at the Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya. On a weekly basis, Dr. Achieng performs 20 to 30 cesarean sections and must stay up to date on evidence-based care. That’s where Jhpiego comes in.\u003C/p>\n","dr-lucy-achieng-a-lifeline-in-the-operating-room","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/dr-lucy-achieng-a-lifeline-in-the-operating-room/","/our-stories/p/dr-lucy-achieng-a-lifeline-in-the-operating-room/","2025-11-20T14:25:59","2025-11-25T13:48:38",{"id":1099,"src":1100,"width":1101,"height":1102,"alt":20,"caption":1103,"title":1104,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1105,"srcset":1106,"sizes":1107,"meta":1108,"acf":1172},7562,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE.jpg",5178,3760,"Dr. Lucy Achieng. Photo by Frank Kimaro for Jhpiego.","SAFE SURGERY - Kenya_Frank Kimaro","\u003Cimg width=\"5178\" height=\"3760\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE.jpg 5178w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-300x218.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1024x744.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-768x558.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1536x1115.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-2048x1487.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-744x540.jpg 744w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-375x272.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-960x697.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1280x929.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1920x1394.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-2560x1859.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-3840x2788.jpg 3840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5178px) 100vw, 5178px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE.jpg 5178w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-300x218.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1024x744.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-768x558.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1536x1115.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-2048x1487.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-744x540.jpg 744w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-375x272.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-960x697.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1280x929.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1920x1394.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-2560x1859.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE-3840x2788.jpg 3840w","(max-width: 5178px) 100vw, 5178px",{"width":1101,"height":1102,"file":1109,"filesize":1110,"sizes":1111,"imageMeta":1165},"2025/11/SAFE-SURGERY-KE.jpg",2520785,{"medium":1112,"large":1116,"thumbnail":1120,"mediumLarge":1123,"1536x1536":1127,"2048x2048":1131,"postThumbnail":1135,"socialPreview":1138,"smallPreview":1141,"mediumPreview":1145,"largePreview":1149,"fullscreenSmall":1153,"fullscreen":1157,"fullscreenLarge":1161},{"file":1113,"width":33,"height":1114,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1115},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-300x218.jpg",218,30848,{"file":1117,"width":38,"height":1118,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1119},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1024x744.jpg",744,105820,{"file":1121,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1122},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-150x150.jpg",22125,{"file":1124,"width":47,"height":1125,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1126},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-768x558.jpg",558,75191,{"file":1128,"width":52,"height":1129,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1130},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1536x1115.jpg",1115,183743,{"file":1132,"width":18,"height":1133,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1134},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-2048x1487.jpg",1487,283817,{"file":1136,"width":1118,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1137},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-744x540.jpg",72665,{"file":1139,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1140},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1200x630.jpg",102058,{"file":1142,"width":67,"height":1143,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1144},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-375x272.jpg",272,36242,{"file":1146,"width":72,"height":1147,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1148},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-960x697.jpg",697,98393,{"file":1150,"width":77,"height":1151,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1152},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1280x929.jpg",929,142259,{"file":1154,"width":82,"height":1155,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1156},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-1920x1394.jpg",1394,256807,{"file":1158,"width":162,"height":1159,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1160},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-2560x1859.jpg",1859,413764,{"file":1162,"width":167,"height":1163,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1164},"SAFE-SURGERY-KE-3840x2788.jpg",2788,868892,{"aperture":1166,"credit":20,"camera":1167,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":1168,"copyright":20,"focalLength":1169,"iso":1170,"shutterSpeed":308,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":1171},"2.8","Canon EOS 5D Mark IV","1750338180","50","1000",[],{"primaryColor":1173,"blurhash":1174,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":20,"focalPointY":20},"#775a44","U7EC8?m@?[^b{a^Px]tl?Z$LM{TJ%g?HMxX5",{"id":1176,"guid":1177,"title":1178,"content":1179,"excerpt":1180,"excerptRaw":1180,"slug":1181,"url":1182,"uri":1183,"to":1183,"status":325,"date":1184,"modified":1185,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":1186},7513,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=7513","Jhpiego is an Action for Women’s Health Awardee","\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, November 12, 2025 \u003C/strong>– Jhpiego has been announced as one of 80+ organizations that were awarded funding through Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million global open call, launched in 2024 to support organizations working to improve women’s mental and physical health around the world.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although women make up half of the world’s population, they face inequities in nearly every aspect of their health. Women’s health is chronically underfunded and under-researched, and even when resources and solutions do exist, they often aren’t reaching the women who need them.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Despite significant progress over five decades, maternal and newborn deaths remain alarmingly high in low- and middle-income countries. Jhpiego tackles this challenge by advancing innovative, sustainable, and culturally sensitive solutions that empower women and health care providers alike. By collaborating with governments, local organizations, and community leaders, Jhpiego integrates health care services and addresses barriers through evidence-based, woman-centered programs tailored to each community’s unique needs.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>By investing in health care workers and advocating for equitable health systems, Jhpiego creates lasting change—enhancing women’s health, status, and roles as clients, caregivers, and leaders, while ensuring that every woman has the opportunity for a safe and healthy future.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Jhpiego is honored to receive support from Action for Women’s Health,” said Leslie Mancuso, President and CEO of Jhpiego. “We share a deep belief that a woman’s health is the foundation of her ability to live a full and prosperous life, engage in her community, contribute to economic growth, and care for her family. This investment will help build a future where every woman experiences safety, dignity, and access to the care she and her family deserve.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Over 4,000 organizations from 119 countries applied, offering solutions across the lifespan for women. After a rigorous peer and expert review process, 80+ organizations have been identified, many of whom have historically lacked access to major funding streams. This funding will have real impact for women across geographies, life stages, and identities.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Action for Women’s Health is funded by Pivotal, a group of impact organizations founded by Melinda French Gates, and managed by Lever for Change, an organization with a track record of identifying bold ideas to solve the world’s most pressing problems.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>More information about the initiative and awardees is available at: \u003Ca href=\"https://leverforchange.org/open-calls/action-for-womens-health\">https://leverforchange.org/open-calls/action-for-womens-health\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>###\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Contact\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Katherine Seaton, Communications Manager, \u003Ca href=\"mailto:Katherine.seaton@jhpiego.org\">Katherine.seaton@jhpiego.org\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About Jhpiego\u003C/strong> \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego is a global non-governmental organization active in approximately 37 countries, dedicated to creating and delivering transformative health care solutions that save lives. Partnering with national governments, health experts, and local communities, Jhpiego redesigns how and where care is delivered, prepares a future-ready workforce for more equitable caregiving, and strengthens the care ecosystem.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jhpiego.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003Cstrong>www.jhpiego.org\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>  \u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Jhpiego has been announced as one of 80+ organizations that were awarded funding through Action for Women’s Health.\u003C/p>\n","afwh-awardee","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/afwh-awardee/","/our-stories/p/afwh-awardee/","2025-11-12T11:18:42","2026-01-05T15:35:13",{"id":1187,"src":1188,"width":1189,"height":1190,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":993,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1191,"srcset":1192,"sizes":1193,"meta":1194,"acf":1226},7535,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5.jpg",1080,1350,"\u003Cimg width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5.jpg 1080w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5-240x300.jpg 240w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5-768x960.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5-432x540.jpg 432w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5-375x469.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5-960x1200.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5.jpg 1080w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5-240x300.jpg 240w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/5-768x960.jpg 768w, 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1080px",{"width":1189,"height":1190,"file":1195,"filesize":1196,"sizes":1197,"imageMeta":1224},"2025/11/5.jpg",155674,{"medium":1198,"large":1201,"thumbnail":1204,"mediumLarge":1207,"postThumbnail":1210,"socialPreview":1214,"smallPreview":1217,"mediumPreview":1221},{"file":1199,"width":208,"height":33,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1200},"5-240x300.jpg",17683,{"file":1202,"width":212,"height":38,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1203},"5-819x1024.jpg",92589,{"file":1205,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1206},"5-150x150.jpg",7799,{"file":1208,"width":47,"height":72,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1209},"5-768x960.jpg",85517,{"file":1211,"width":1212,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1213},"5-432x540.jpg",432,40629,{"file":1215,"width":1189,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1216},"5-1080x630.jpg",72694,{"file":1218,"width":67,"height":1219,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1220},"5-375x469.jpg",469,34102,{"file":1222,"width":72,"height":62,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1223},"5-960x1200.jpg",111089,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":1225},[],{"primaryColor":1227,"blurhash":1228},"#444b56","UHNs~m+bWBxv48O?bHI;rXo}aynO}Ev~WVoz",{"id":1230,"guid":1231,"title":1232,"content":1233,"excerpt":1234,"excerptRaw":1234,"slug":1235,"url":1236,"uri":1237,"to":1237,"status":325,"date":1238,"modified":1239,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":1240},5569,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=5569","From Struggle to Strength","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5570\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-2560x1707.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-3840x2560.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1.jpg 6000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There was something unsettling about the call that buzzed on Judith’s phone, like it was a warning she couldn’t yet understand. She knew that Hosten Uyoba, her 2-year-old grandson, was in danger.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Hosten’s parents had been struggling with their own health issues for some time. Left alone in the chaos, Hosten had become vulnerable to hunger and ill health. A neighbor heard his persistent cries and made an emergency phone call to Judith.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Judith rushed to his side. “I found Hosten in a bad state – tiny and weak,” she said. “He had a fever and couldn’t keep his head up.” She immediately took him to the Livingstone University Teaching Hospital in the Southern province of Zambia for help.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Children in the Western, Southern, Central, and North-Western provinces of Zambia are particularly susceptible to acute malnutrition because of poor access to healthy foods, inadequate nutrition counseling and services, and limited access to clean water. Almost 52,000 children under five are at risk of severe wasting and 276,805 are at risk of moderate wasting\u003Cstrong>.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Admission and journey to recovery\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“When Judith arrived at the hospital, Hosten was dehydrated, wheezing, and had a high fever,” said Loveness Lubasi, a community-based volunteer in Judith’s village. “We ran tests and found that he was severely malnourished. He tested positive for tuberculosis.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Hosten was admitted to the hospital inpatient therapeutic program for children with severe acute malnutrition for 28 days where he was also started on treatment for tuberculosis.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We were both admitted so that I could help with the feeding,” said Judith. “It was tough. He was sick and most times couldn’t stomach any fluids. But he got better by the day and my joy and strength grew daily as Hosten got better.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5573\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-2560x1707.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4-3840x2560.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-4.jpg 6000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Post-recovery and care\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After Hosten was discharged, Judith closely monitored his health at home. “Hosten is under my care,” said Judith. “His appetite for food is better, and he is strong enough to play.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Loveness Lubasi, a community-based volunteer with the Zambia Ministry of Health visits Hosten once a week to check on his health and well-being. Through Jhpiego’s collaboration with the Ministry of Health, volunteers like Loveness are equipped with essential knowledge, skills and tools to identify and manage malnutrition and support caregivers like Judith to sustain recovery efforts for children treated for severe acute malnutrition. They deliver care as close to the family as possible and promote healthy behaviors.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5574\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-2560x1707.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5-3840x2560.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-5.jpg 6000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hands-on training and provision of simple tools, like a mid-upper arm circumference armband, enable Jhpiego-supported volunteers, like Loveness Lubasi, assess and support malnourished children. Photos by Francis Kaira for Jhpiego.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5571\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-1280x1920.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2-2560x3840.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-2.jpg 3835w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The nutrition status of children in this province is of concern, since this area is vulnerable to drought,” said Greenford Mwiinga, a Nutrition Specialist with the Zambia Ministry of Health for the Southern province. “We depend on partners like Jhpiego to support families through community engagement efforts.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego partners with the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ) to support 162 community-based volunteers (CBVs) who have been trained to work alongside Safe Motherhood Action Groups. Together, they provide door-to-door health services to identify children and pregnant and lactating mothers who may be malnourished, linking them to care. They help families manage child nutrition through health education and cooking demonstrations in the communities using locally available food. Through this initiative, CBVs in Zambia have reached approximately 22,032 households. In the past year alone, 632 children were identified with malnutrition, 133 of whom had severe acute malnutrition. They were referred to the hospital for treatment and are now showing signs of recovery.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5575\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-1280x1920.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-2560x3840.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6-3840x5760.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-6.jpg 4000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5572\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-1280x1920.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-2560x3840.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3-3840x5760.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-3.jpg 4000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5576\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-200x300.jpg 200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-360x540.jpg 360w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-375x563.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-960x1440.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-1280x1920.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-1920x2880.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-2560x3840.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10-3840x5760.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-10.jpg 4000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The Government of Zambia is taking bold steps, but the journey requires all of us,” says Dorothy Sikazwe, Nutrition Advisor at Jhpiego Zambia. “Together—with communities and partners—we can ensure every child grows up strong and healthy.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“No child should suffer from malnutrition in a land full of potential.” – Dorothy Sikazwe, Nutrition Advisor at Jhpiego Zambia.\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Hosten is doing well with his grandmother by his side. “He is supported and surrounded by people who care,” said Judith.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Joan Nduta is a Senior Communications Manager for the Africa Region. Francis Kaira is a Knowledge Management and Communications Advisor in Zambia.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Eva Lathrop, Senior Director for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health, and Kathleen Hill, Senior Principal Technical Advisor, reviewed this story.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>In Zambia, baby Hosten recovers thanks to his grandmother’s love.\u003C/p>\n","from-struggle-to-strength","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/from-struggle-to-strength/","/our-stories/p/from-struggle-to-strength/","2025-07-01T19:16:26","2025-11-10T19:03:10",{"id":1241,"src":1242,"width":1243,"height":113,"alt":20,"caption":1244,"title":1245,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1246,"srcset":1247,"sizes":1248,"meta":1249,"acf":1302},5570,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1.jpg",6000,"Judith and her grandson, Hosten. Photo by Francis Kaira for Jhpiego.","Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025 (1)","\u003Cimg width=\"6000\" height=\"4000\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1.jpg 6000w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Zambia-FrancisKaira-2025-1-810x540.jpg 810w, 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EOS 850D","1703683988","2500","0.0025",[],{"primaryColor":1303,"blurhash":1304,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":20,"focalPointY":20},"#424635","U5BM_D~pl+-UK$%O^8?I0wxu$,IUS?H@IU56",{"id":1306,"guid":1307,"title":1308,"content":1309,"excerpt":1310,"excerptRaw":1310,"slug":1311,"url":1312,"uri":1313,"to":1313,"status":325,"date":1314,"modified":1315,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":1316},3310,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3310","Tuberculosis: An Overlooked Threat to Pregnant Women","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3311\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This post originally appeared on \u003Ca href=\"https://www.alignmnh.org/2025/06/17/tuberculosis-an-overlooked-threat-to-pregnant-women/\">AlignMNH’s website\u003C/a> on June 16, 2025.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The arrival of a baby is often described as life’s most profound transformation. Yet, for many women and families, this experience is threatened by a silent killer: tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Each year, over \u003Ca href=\"https://www.who.int/health-topics/maternal-health#tab=tab_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">200 million women become pregnant\u003C/a> globally. It is estimated that more than 200,000 of them develop TB during pregnancy, but this is likely an undercount. In many parts of the world, TB remains hidden, undetected, and under-diagnosed, especially among pregnant and postpartum women. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Take Lesotho, for example. With a population of just over 2 million, many of whom are under 29 years of age, Lesotho faces intersecting health crises. TB and HIV are the top causes of death in a country that also has a shockingly high rate \u003Ca href=\"https://data.who.int/countries/426\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">of maternal mortality\u003C/a> (478 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023). Overall, \u003Ca href=\"https://data.who.int/countries/426#hid-f3ab4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">54.2% of shared causes of deaths\u003C/a> are due to communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A hidden danger during and after pregnancy\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7083553/pdf/ERJ-01886-2019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The risk of active TB is up to two times higher among pregnant and postpartum women\u003C/a> in high burden countries. That risk increases even further for those with other co-morbidities such as HIV or gestational diabetes.  Pregnant women living with HIV who develop TB are \u003Ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36558815/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">twice as likely to die during the year following the birth compared to women who did not develop TB.\u003C/a> Their babies are also at increased risk— three times more likely to die during their first year of life and a higher risk of HIV infection themselves.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While the exact reasons for increased TB susceptibility during pregnancy are not fully understood, some potential factors include immune system changes coupled with hormonal variations that occur during pregnancy and postpartum. Pregnancy naturally suppresses parts of the immune response to protect the fetus, but this immune suppression can also increase the risk and severity of certain infections including TB.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>TB in pregnant and postpartum women is frequently overlooked. One reason is symptom overlap: fatigue, weight loss, shortness of breath, and cough are common in both TB and pregnancy, making it difficult to distinguish one from the other. In some cases, TB presents without any symptoms at all. In others, health providers simply may not ‘think TB,’ delaying appropriate diagnostic investigations. And women themselves may not consider TB to be a risk—we once met a woman in Lesotho who told us, “Of all the things that could happen to me and my baby during pregnancy, TB did not even cross my mind. That’s not the type of thing we heard of.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Even when TB is diagnosed, reporting of this data and outcomes are often not recorded systematically by national TB programs. As a result, the true burden of TB in pregnancy is hidden, and care remains fragmented.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WHO Guidance: REACH, Diagnose, Treat, Prevent \u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that pregnant and postpartum women in high TB burden settings—especially those living with HIV—receive routine TB screening, diagnosis, treatment and preventive care. These guidelines include: \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/340255/9789240022676-eng.pdf?sequence=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003Cstrong>Systematic screening\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\u003Cstrong> for TB: \u003C/strong>All pregnant and postpartum women in high TB burden countries and all pregnant and post-partum women living with HIV should be screened for TB at every visit to a healthcare facility using a four-symptom checklist (cough, night sweats, fever, weight loss) combined with additional tests, including chest X-rays when appropriate. Unexplained failure to gain weight during pregnancy should also be considered together with weight loss.  \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Diagnosis using WHO-recommended tests:\u003C/strong> Women with presumptive TB should be offered rapid molecular testing as the first step for diagnosis.  \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Safe treatment: \u003C/strong>Standard drug-susceptible TB treatments are safe during pregnancy and should be started immediately upon diagnosis\u003Cstrong>. \u003C/strong> \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/331170\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003Cstrong>TB Preventive Treatment (TPT)\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>: Pregnant women living with HIV without active TB should receive TPT regardless of stage of pregnancy. This improves pregnancy outcomes for both mothers and their infants.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Implementation gaps and challenges \u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Despite clear guidance, implementation remains inconsistent. Key challenges include:  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>Symptom-based screening alone is insufficient: Many pregnant women with TB do not show typical TB symptoms or do not have symptoms at all. \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Difficulties with diagnosis: TB diagnosis is still primarily based on sputum-based tests. Even when TB is suspected, pregnant women often struggle to produce sputum samples for testing.  \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Inadequate tracking: Many countries do not systematically track data on TB screening, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment in pregnant or postpartum women. This makes it hard to evaluate program performance or improve care.  \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Limited uptake of preventive treatment: Only 64% of countries have policies supporting TPT for pregnant women living with HIV. Even when policies exist, implementation is frequently undermined  by insufficient funding, supply chain issues, shortages of healthcare staff, overburdened providers, and lack of adequate training, making it difficult to scale up TB screening and treatment effectively.  \u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>TB is both preventable and curable, yet it remains the world’s leading infectious diseases killer worldwide, causing an estimated 1.25 million deaths globally in 2023, including 161,000 people with HIV. Women of reproductive age account for roughly 20% of the global TB burden. In countries like Lesotho, where maternal deaths and TB deaths are high, failing to address these issues together means lives are needlessly lost.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We are now only five years away from the global target of\u003Cem> \u003C/em>ending TB by 2030.\u003Cem> \u003C/em>While the goal is ambitious, it is achievable. Since 2000, an estimated 79 million lives have been saved, and the possibility of ending TB is now within reach. Today, we have better tools than ever, including new diagnostics, preventive therapies, effective treatments, and a promising vaccine candidate on the horizon  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But success depends on continued commitment, smarter strategies, and sustained investment.  We must integrate TB and maternal health efforts – and within the broader primary health care approach – and reach those most at risk, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and their infants. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rethinking care \u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Too often, healthcare systems treat diseases in silos.  Pregnant women face an intersection of risks from both maternal health complications and TB, yet these two crises are often treated separately.  We need to refocus the health and wellbeing of a person as a whole across every stage of life. This is particularly true for women navigating pregnancy in high TB burden settings. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What does that look like in practice? \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Raise awareness and spur action:\u003C/strong> TB is a social disease and as such it should no longer be viewed as a health condition in isolation. It must be understood in the context of social determinants of health, primary health care, maternal and child health, HIV, and nutrition.  \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Center care on people, not diseases: \u003C/strong>Person-centered care starts with recognizing the whole individual, not just their disease. We must ensure that care is tailored to individual needs across life stages and epidemiological contexts. For pregnant women living in high TB burden countries, this includes accounting for TB risk and ensuring services are coordinated. \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Engage communities:\u003C/strong> Women are more likely to seek care when they trust the health system. Community engagement helps co-design health care that works for people, reduce stigma, builds understanding, and improves service uptake. \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Invest in health systems: \u003C/strong>Stronger TB responses require more and consistent funding investments, leak-proof supply chains solutions, and well-trained healthcare workers. Advocacy efforts at all levels is essential. \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Strengthen data collection and use:\u003C/strong> Without data, we can’t see the true impact of TB on pregnant women and address gaps in access and quality in care.  Countries must continue investing in data systems to track TB services across maternal health care. \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Include pregnant women in research: \u003C/strong>Pregnant and postpartum women have historically been excluded from TB trials and treatment studies. This must change. Without evidence, they remain locked out of innovations that could save their lives.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">We can and must do better \u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There is no going back. Ending TB isn’t just a goal—it’s a necessity. It requires us all—policymakers, researchers, health workers, advocates, and communities—to break down silos, rethink how care is delivered, and expand our vision of what’s possible.   \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The path ahead is clear. The tools are available. The evidence is strong. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The only question is: Will we act? \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, and a hidden threat to pregnant women. In countries like Lesotho, where TB and maternal deaths intersect, failure to act costs lives. Discover why integrated, person-centered care is essential to ending TB.\u003C/p>\n","tuberculosis-threat-to-pregnant-women","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/tuberculosis-threat-to-pregnant-women/","/our-stories/p/tuberculosis-threat-to-pregnant-women/","2025-06-20T19:40:00","2025-08-13T19:46:14",{"id":1317,"src":1318,"width":18,"height":962,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1319,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1320,"srcset":1321,"sizes":26,"meta":1322,"acf":1361},3311,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025.jpg","Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-TB-6-20-2025-300x200.jpg 300w, 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/ Karel Prinsloo / Jhpiego",[],{"primaryColor":1362,"blurhash":1363,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":20,"focalPointY":20},"#8ca4c5","U:F$^xs:WYW?%%ofRkbIRRj[RijrRPWCWBae",{"id":1365,"guid":1366,"title":1367,"content":1368,"excerpt":1369,"excerptRaw":1369,"slug":1370,"url":1371,"uri":1372,"to":1372,"status":325,"date":1373,"modified":1374,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":1375},2412,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=2412","Unitaid and Jhpiego advance lifesaving care for postpartum hemorrhage in resource-limited settings","\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jhpiego will receive an additional US$2.3 million in funding to integrate the calibrated drape into existing programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and India, and support catalytic procurement in Rwanda.\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Baltimore/Geneva – \u003C/strong>Severe bleeding after childbirth, known as postpartum hemorrhage, is the leading cause of maternal death globally. Though several drugs can treat the life-threatening condition, recent findings show that \u003Ca href=\"https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2303966\">up to half of all women\u003C/a> in low- and middle-income countries who experience postpartum hemorrhage are identified too late or not at all because healthcare staff must rely on visual estimates of blood loss. As a result, life-saving treatment can be delayed or not provided. Jhpiego, with US$2.3 million in support from Unitaid, will now integrate a simple, objective blood loss measurement device – the calibrated drape – into an existing initiative working to make childbirth safer through improved access to recommended postpartum hemorrhage interventions.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The calibrated drape is a piece of plastic sheeting that hangs off the end of the delivery table and collects and measures blood in a clear pouch at its base. This helps birth attendants quickly and accurately identify life-threatening levels of bleeding and connect women in need with treatment.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With additional support from the Gates Foundation, Unitaid and Jhpiego will support integration of the drape into existing health programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guinea and India, and lead catalytic procurement in Rwanda. These activities are part of the \u003Ca href=\"https://jhpiego.org/areas-of-expertise/ampli-pphi/\">Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact\u003C/a> (AMPLI-PPHI) project, a US$26.7 million investment from Unitaid.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2415\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Postpartum hemorrhage can very quickly become life-threatening. Visually estimating blood loss delays access to critical postpartum hemorrhage treatment for women who need it,” said Dr. Jeffrey Smith, Senior Technical Manager at Unitaid. “Unitaid and Jhpiego aim to help countries answer questions about how best to implement this innovative blood loss measurement device alongside postpartum hemorrhage medicines to support country efforts to reduce maternal deaths through cost-effective interventions.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Kenya, where the government has moved ahead with procurement of the drape in Makueni county, the AMPLI-PPHI project is observing promising initial signs that the package of tools the project supports is helping to improve care for women.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“A birth should be a joyous occasion, not a tragedy,” said H.E. Mutula Kilonzo Junior, Governor of Makueni County, Kenya. “It’s heartbreaking that women continue to die from postpartum hemorrhage, a condition that is both preventable and treatable with the right tools and timely care. But with early detection and immediate intervention, we are saving lives. I’m proud to share that since implementing this comprehensive care package, we did not record a single maternal death from postpartum hemorrhage in the public sector in Makueni County in 2023 and 2024.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The AMPLI-PPHI project aims to improve access to quality health products that prevent, detect and treat postpartum hemorrhage for women in low- and middle-income countries. Project activities in DRC, Guinea, India, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia are designed to support these countries and the broader regions to scale up lifesaving interventions. In addition to the calibrated drape, the project is accelerating access to \u003Ca href=\"https://unitaid.org/innovations/heat-stable-carbetocin/\">heat-stable carbetocin\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://unitaid.org/innovations/tranexamic-acid/\">tranexamic acid\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://unitaid.org/innovations/misoprostol/\">misoprostol\u003C/a> – three critical drugs for preventing and treating postpartum hemorrhage.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“With more than 50 years of experience helping countries improve their maternal health services, we are proud to partner with Unitaid,” said Dr. Leslie Mancuso, Jhpiego President and CEO. “This innovative solution ensures timely detection of postpartum hemorrhage and helps health workers act quickly and decisively, saving lives by ensuring rapid response when every second counts.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Nigeria and Zambia, AMPLI-PPHI is already integrating the calibrated drape into health programs through SafeBirth Africa, a joint project with the European Union. The additional funding to AMPLI-PPHI will now ensure the calibrated drape is integrated into AMPLI-PPHI programming in the remaining project countries. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Additional quotes\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“It is with great joy that we welcome the imminent arrival of calibrated drapes in Guinea. This will improve the quality of postpartum hemorrhage diagnosis and guide appropriate case management through the eMOTIVE approach. We hope to ensure that we have continuous access to the supplier of this medical equipment so that we can purchase it at an affordable price and regularly supply our health facilities,” said Dr. Siré Camara, Head of the National Directorate of Family Health and Nutrition Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Guinea.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Through our supervision in the health zones of Kimpense and Kisantu (Democratic Republic of Congo), we have found that healthcare providers have difficulty objectively quantifying blood loss during childbirth and the postpartum period. This leads to delayed detection of postpartum hemorrhage cases, resulting in late and often difficult management, including delayed referrals to higher-level health facilities, multiple blood transfusions, and sometimes death. These delays compromise the chances of successful treatment… We are therefore eager to begin this initiative, which offers the country an opportunity to reduce maternal mortality related to PPH and thus achieve its SDGs by 2030,” said Dr Chantal Lusikila, Head of the Family Health Division, Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare, Democratic Republic of Congo.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Unitaid-funded Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact (\u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/pph-Unitaid/\">AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/a>) project (2022–2026) is a $26 million initiative that focuses on generating evidence and learning, creating an enabling environment, and preparing the market to enable broad uptake of the three drugs – heat-stable carbetocin, tranexamic acid and misoprostol – in low- and middle-income countries. The Unitaid-Jhpiego program is working in partnership with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), PATH and country governments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, India and Kenya to ensure PPH medications are available at the right time, in the right place, for the right indication, and for the right patient across health systems.  With complimentary funding from Safe Birth Africa, a joint Unitaid-UNFPA venture backed by the European Union, AMPLI-PPHI has expanded to Nigeria and Zambia in 2024 to bring greater access to pregnant women and stop bleeding after birth, ultimately reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About Unitaid\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Unitaid is a global health organization that saves lives by making new health products available and affordable for people in low- and middle-income countries. Unitaid works with partners to identify innovative treatments, tests and tools, help tackle the market barriers that are holding them back, and get them to the people who need them most – fast. Since Unitaid was created in 2006, the organization has unlocked access to more than 100 groundbreaking health products to help address the world’s biggest health challenges, including HIV, TB and malaria; women’s and children’s health; and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. Every year, more than 300 million people benefit from the products Unitaid has helped roll out. Unitaid is hosted by the World Health Organization.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About Jhpiego\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego is a global health nonprofit with more than 50 years of experience innovating to save the lives of women, men, and families around the world. Originally established in 1973 as the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics, Jhpiego has since evolved into a multidimensional organization with active programming in over 30 countries. In partnership with national governments, health experts, and local communities, Jhpiego creates and delivers transformative health care solutions that build providers’ skills, strengthen health systems, and ensure equitable access to high-quality, lifesaving care for all—regardless of location.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Media contacts\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Unitaid: \u003C/strong>Kyle Wilkinson, Communications officer\u003Cbr>+41 79 445 17 45 \u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"mailto:wilkinsonk@unitaid.who.int\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003Cstrong>wilkinsonk@unitaid.who.int\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\u003Cstrong>  \u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Jhpiego:\u003C/strong>  Naomi Giges Downey, Chief Global Engagement Officer\u003Cbr>+1-646-418-6596\u003Cbr>\u003Ca href=\"mailto:Naomi.Downey@jhpiego.org\">\u003Cstrong>Naomi.Downey@jhpiego.org\u003C/strong>\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Jhpiego will receive an additional US$2.3 million in funding to integrate the calibrated drape into existing programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and India, and support catalytic procurement in Rwanda.\u003C/p>\n","unitaid-jhpiego-advance-pph","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/unitaid-jhpiego-advance-pph/","/our-stories/p/unitaid-jhpiego-advance-pph/","2025-06-11T19:44:34","2025-11-05T14:09:07",{"id":1376,"src":1377,"width":18,"height":962,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1378,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1379,"srcset":1380,"sizes":26,"meta":1381,"acf":1421},2415,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski.jpg","India_2023_Elkin Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/India_2023_Elkin-Hospital_A_KarenKasmauski-960x640.jpg 960w, 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Karen Kasmauski",[],{"primaryColor":1422,"blurhash":1423,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":20,"focalPointY":20},"#71534c","U6E2X$?b0zPS~V8x$f.R4nQTb_%z^k%29tIU",{"id":1425,"guid":1426,"title":1427,"content":1428,"excerpt":1429,"excerptRaw":1429,"slug":1430,"url":1431,"uri":1432,"to":1432,"status":325,"date":1433,"modified":1434,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":1435},2127,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=2127","Six Decades in the Shadows: Esther’s Journey to Restoring Dignity after Fistula","\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>Esther Mwikali Ndii endured decades of shame and isolation due to an \u003Cstrong>untreated obstetric fistula\u003C/strong> sustained during childbirth at age 20.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>The condition caused chronic incontinence, leading to \u003Cstrong>social stigma and a reclusive life\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>In May 2024, Esther received successful treatment through \u003Cstrong>Jhpiego’s Obstetric Fistula Project in Kenya\u003C/strong>, restoring her health and dignity.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Today, \u003Cstrong>Esther serves as a symbol of hope\u003C/strong>, with her story highlighting the importance of accessible maternal health care.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"808\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-1024x808.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2132\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-1024x808.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-300x237.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-768x606.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-1536x1212.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-684x540.jpg 684w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-375x296.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-960x757.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-1280x1010.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10-1920x1515.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-10.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For more than six decades, Esther Mwikali Ndii of Makueni County, Kenya, lived in quiet torment—trapped by a condition all too common among mothers in low- and middle-income countries.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Esther suffered from obstetric fistula, a devastating childbirth injury resulting from the difficult birth of her firstborn when she was 20. Prolonged obstructed labor is often the cause of obstetric fistula, an abnormal opening between a woman’s birth canal and her bladder and/or rectum causing urinary and/or fecal incontinence or both.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“According to the Ministry of Health, 3,000 Kenyan women develop obstetric fistula annually,” said Dr. Daisy Ruto, Jhpiego’s Obstetric Fistula Project Director. “Yet, treatment remains out of reach for many due to limited resources, with only 12 trained surgeons in the country specializing in its repair.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Childbirth, meant to be a joyful moment, instead left Esther’s body broken. The fistula caused her to lose control of her bladder and bowels and her incontinence brought her immense shame. A once devout churchgoer, she avoided social gatherings and mostly stayed indoors due to the pervasive smell of urine.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"807\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-1024x807.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2130\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-1024x807.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-300x236.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-768x605.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-1536x1210.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-685x540.jpg 685w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-375x296.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-960x756.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-1280x1009.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8-1920x1513.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-8.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Between 50,000 and 100,000 women are affected by obstetric fistula each year. They often experience incontinence and other health problems that lead to shame and social segregation. Photo by Kevin Omollo for Jhpiego.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Esther made sacrifices to try to accommodate her condition. She ate less, hoping to reduce trips to the bathroom. But hunger did not bring her peace.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We bring in nutritionists because most women with fistula are malnourished,” said Dr. Ruto. “They need to be optimized before surgery since some don’t eat well or drink enough fluids to avoid leaking urine and stool.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>A 60-year ordeal ends with hope\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Despite her debilitating condition, Esther had three more children (pregnancy after developing a fistula can lead to major complications). Yet stigma followed her like a shadow—affecting her husband and children. “It was very difficult for us as a family. We were ashamed and heartbroken when our mother was openly rejected,” said her youngest son, David Kyalo, now 45.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Over the years, hope flickered and then dimmed. Several visits to hospitals for a diagnosis yielded nothing. The family resigned themselves to the feeling of shame and silence for 60 years.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We chose to make her comfortable and live her life as best as possible. The family accepted the situation and built a thick skin, though there were moments when it felt utterly unbearable,” David explained, his voice heavy with resignation.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>On May 21, 2024, a new chapter began for Esther—one of hope, dignity, and triumph.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"812\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-1024x812.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2133\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-1024x812.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-300x238.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-768x609.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-1536x1217.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-681x540.jpg 681w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-375x297.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-960x761.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-1280x1014.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5-1920x1522.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-5.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esther’s smile marks the end of isolation—and the beginning of healing. Fistula is almost entirely preventable and can be avoided through access to high-quality health care. Photo by Kevin Omollo for Jhpiego.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That morning, David received a text about a program offering treatment for women with leakage of urine, stool, or both. Jhpiego, through the Obstetric Fistula Project, funded by Johnson & Johnson, was conducting an awareness campaign via SMS messages. The message informed David that there were free fistula screenings at Kilungu Sub-County Hospital, one of 10 fistula screening facilities in Makueni County. Although he didn’t think his mother could be treated because of her age, David convinced her to attend the screening. He said: “I wanted to try since my only wish was for my mother to regain her dignity and live without shame.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That same day, Esther was admitted to the Makueni Mother and Child Hospital, one of the health facilities equipped to conduct fistula repair. Her long ordeal was finally about to end.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Comprehensive obstetric fistula services replace shame with joy\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Through the combined efforts of Jhpiego, Johnson & Johnson, and the team at Makueni Mother and Child Hospital, Esther received the care and treatment she needed. Successful surgery restored her health and her dignity.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego is implementing the three-year Obstetric Fistula Project in Makueni County to prevent obstetric fistula; raise awareness and provide education on obstetric fistula services; reduce the surgical backlog; find hidden cases; manage obstetric fistula cases; and support rehabilitation and reintegration. Since the project’s beginning, 146 women have received constructive surgeries at the Makueni Mother and Child Hospital.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"779\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-1024x779.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2129\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-1024x779.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-300x228.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-768x584.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-1536x1168.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-710x540.jpg 710w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-375x285.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-960x730.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-1280x973.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6-1920x1460.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-6.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esther and her son, David, share many smiles together now that their overwhelming sense of shame has disappeared. Photo by Kevin Omollo for Jhpiego.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Esther has become a beacon of hope in her community. She now attends church and other social events with her head held high and a broad smile fueled by a healed body. She can eat well without having to worry about soiling herself. David also smiles often. His mother’s perseverance and courage fill his heart with hope. The shame that bound their family has dissolved—gratitude and joy have replaced it.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This story was reviewed by Mary Muthengi, a Technical Officer in Jhpiego’s Kenya office. \u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Kevin Omollo was a communications intern for Jhpiego’s Kenya office.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Esther endured decades of shame and isolation due to an untreated obstetric fistula. In May 2024, Esther received successful treatment through Jhpiego’s Obstetric Fistula Project in Kenya, restoring her health and dignity.\u003C/p>\n","esthers-journey","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/esthers-journey/","/our-stories/p/esthers-journey/","2025-04-29T19:50:04","2025-09-15T19:16:55",{"id":1436,"src":1437,"width":1438,"height":1439,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1440,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1441,"srcset":1442,"sizes":1443,"meta":1444,"acf":1496},2131,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9.jpg",2000,1482,"Esther Mwikali Ndii (9)","\u003Cimg width=\"2000\" height=\"1482\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9.jpg 2000w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-300x222.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1024x759.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-768x569.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1536x1138.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-729x540.jpg 729w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-375x278.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-960x711.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1280x948.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1920x1423.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9.jpg 2000w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-300x222.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1024x759.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-768x569.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1536x1138.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-729x540.jpg 729w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-375x278.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-960x711.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1280x948.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1920x1423.jpg 1920w","(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px",{"width":1438,"height":1439,"file":1445,"filesize":1446,"sizes":1447,"imageMeta":1490},"2025/05/Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9.jpg",1008548,{"medium":1448,"large":1452,"thumbnail":1456,"mediumLarge":1459,"1536x1536":1463,"postThumbnail":1467,"socialPreview":1471,"smallPreview":1474,"mediumPreview":1478,"largePreview":1482,"fullscreenSmall":1486},{"file":1449,"width":33,"height":1450,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1451},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-300x222.jpg",222,25777,{"file":1453,"width":38,"height":1454,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1455},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1024x759.jpg",759,179411,{"file":1457,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1458},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-150x150.jpg",10887,{"file":1460,"width":47,"height":1461,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1462},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-768x569.jpg",569,113425,{"file":1464,"width":52,"height":1465,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1466},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1536x1138.jpg",1138,342630,{"file":1468,"width":1469,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1470},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-729x540.jpg",729,104820,{"file":1472,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1473},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1200x630.jpg",164619,{"file":1475,"width":67,"height":1476,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1477},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-375x278.jpg",278,36671,{"file":1479,"width":72,"height":1480,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1481},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-960x711.jpg",711,161845,{"file":1483,"width":77,"height":1484,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1485},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1280x948.jpg",948,256870,{"file":1487,"width":82,"height":1488,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1489},"Esther-Mwikali-Ndii-9-1920x1423.jpg",1423,482031,{"aperture":86,"credit":1491,"camera":1492,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":1493,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":1494,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":309,"keywords":1495},"GEOFFREY_NJENGA","NIKON D5600","1734439953","200",[],{"primaryColor":1497,"blurhash":1498},"#454e31","UDD,V[x@.3xv.6kDRUWF%d%L?axu~oogx@xt",{"id":1500,"guid":1501,"title":1502,"content":1503,"excerpt":1504,"excerptRaw":1504,"slug":1505,"url":1506,"uri":1507,"to":1507,"status":325,"date":1508,"modified":1509,"type":328,"authorId":459,"featuredMedia":1510},1346,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=1346","A New Tool to Keep Breastfeeding Moms Safe from HIV Infection","\n\u003Cp>A recent article in \u003Cem>The Lancet HIV\u003C/em> describes results of a study on the safety of the dapivirine vaginal ring for preventing HIV in breastfeeding mothers—and consequently protecting their babies, as well. We recently spoke with lead author \u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/blog/authors/lisa-noguchi/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. Lisa Noguchi\u003C/a>, Jhpiego’s Director for Maternal and Newborn Health, about the real-life implications of these findings.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is HIV prevention important for breastfeeding mothers and their babies?\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The world has made incredible progress in preventing vertical transmission of HIV—meaning from the mother to her child during pregnancy, labor and delivery, or breastfeeding. Unfortunately, progress has slowed recently. In West and Central Africa, for example, vertical HIV transmission elimination programs probably only reach about half of pregnant or breastfeeding women living with HIV.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We know from previous research that pregnancy and the postpartum period are critical times for HIV prevention. The chance of acquiring HIV per sex act is probably as much as four times higher for a postpartum woman compared to times when she is not pregnant. We also know that if a postpartum mother gets an acute HIV infection, the chance of passing it to her breastfeeding baby is higher than if she’d acquired an HIV infection prior to her pregnancy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So, while oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—HIV-negative individuals taking oral medication to reduce their chance of acquiring HIV—is a safe and effective option for many people including breastfeeding women, we need a range of options, because different strategies work for different people.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the current recommendations for breastfeeding?\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The World Health Organization (WHO) universally recommends exclusive breastfeeding (i.e., providing only breast milk as their source of nutrition) for infants younger than 6 months, and continued breastfeeding plus appropriate complementary foods until age 2 years or older. That’s how impactful breastfeeding is in terms of its power to save infant lives and protect them from malnutrition, ear infections, respiratory tract infection, asthma, sudden infant death, obesity, type 1 diabetes, and more. But breastfeeding doesn’t just protect babies—it protects mothers, too. Women who breastfeed have a lower risk of high blood pressure, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes, and more.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For readers who might not be familiar with the dapivirine ring, can you explain what it is?\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A dapivirine vaginal ring is a flexible ring, made of silicone elastomer, that contains 25 mg of dapivirine, an antiviral drug. The ring is designed to be inserted in the vagina and replaced monthly. Based on multiple safety and efficacy studies, WHO recommended the ring in 2021 as an additional prevention choice for women at substantial risk of HIV infection.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What did you set out to learn in this study and what did you find?\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Our study, which was a randomized trial, aimed to describe the safety of two different HIV prevention products during breastfeeding. Some women in the study used oral PrEP and some used the ring. We also measured medication levels in mothers and infants. The study was carried out at HIV research sites in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We found that the dapivirine ring was very well tolerated and safe for breastfeeding moms and their babies. We observed very few significant side effects or health issues in either the ring or the oral PrEP group. While this wasn’t a trial designed to measure effectiveness, it was reassuring that none of the study participants acquired HIV.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Because of this study, we now know that dapivirine levels in breastfeeding infants are very low and infrequent. This and the safety data underscore that a health worker should be able to prescribe the ring for a breastfeeding mom, because it looks very safe for both her and the baby.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the take-home message?\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Since breastfeeding has such powerful benefits, no one living where HIV is common should have to choose between breastfeeding and protecting themselves—and their baby—from HIV infection. They need options! Not everyone can take a PrEP pill every day. Now, the dapivirine ring is one more way that breastfeeding moms can help protect themselves from getting HIV—and give their babies all the benefits of breastfeeding.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp class=\"is-style-info\">\u003Cem>Safety and drug quantification of the dapivirine vaginal ring and oral pre-exposure prophylaxis in breastfeeding mother–infant pairs (MTN-043): a phase 3B, open-label, randomised trial\u003C/em> by Lisa Noguchi, PhD; Maxensia Owor, MMed; Nyaradzo M Mgodi, MMed; Brenda Gati Mirembe, MBChB; Sufia Dadabhai, PhD; Elizea Horne, MBChB; et al. was published in the March 2025 issue of The Lancet. Read the full article\u003Cstrong> \u003Cem>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhiv/article/PIIS2352-3018(24)00306-0/abstract\">here\u003C/a> \u003C/em>\u003C/strong>and listen to the \u003Cem>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.thelancet.com/multimedia/podcasts/in-conversation-with/lanhiv\">\u003Cstrong>podcast episode\u003C/strong>\u003C/a> \u003C/em>featuring Dr. Lisa Noguchi.\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>A recent article in The Lancet HIV describes results of a study on the safety of the dapivirine vaginal ring for preventing HIV in breastfeeding mothers—and consequently protecting their babies, as well.\u003C/p>\n","a-new-tool-to-keep-breastfeeding-moms-safe-from-hiv-infection","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/a-new-tool-to-keep-breastfeeding-moms-safe-from-hiv-infection/","/our-stories/p/a-new-tool-to-keep-breastfeeding-moms-safe-from-hiv-infection/","2025-03-25T22:32:56","2025-08-08T20:19:28",{"id":1511,"src":1512,"width":18,"height":19,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1513,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1514,"srcset":1515,"sizes":26,"meta":1516,"acf":1555},1347,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2.jpeg","F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2.jpeg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-809x540.jpeg 809w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-960x641.jpeg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1280x854.jpeg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1920x1282.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2.jpeg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-809x540.jpeg 809w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-960x641.jpeg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1280x854.jpeg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1920x1282.jpeg 1920w",{"width":18,"height":19,"file":1517,"filesize":1518,"sizes":1519,"imageMeta":1553},"2025/03/F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2.jpeg",542131,{"medium":1520,"large":1523,"thumbnail":1526,"mediumLarge":1529,"1536x1536":1532,"postThumbnail":1535,"socialPreview":1538,"smallPreview":1541,"mediumPreview":1544,"largePreview":1547,"fullscreenSmall":1550},{"file":1521,"width":33,"height":34,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1522},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-300x200.jpeg",16072,{"file":1524,"width":38,"height":39,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1525},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1024x684.jpeg",82896,{"file":1527,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1528},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-150x150.jpeg",9616,{"file":1530,"width":47,"height":48,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1531},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-768x513.jpeg",54947,{"file":1533,"width":52,"height":53,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1534},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1536x1025.jpeg",151790,{"file":1536,"width":57,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1537},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-809x540.jpeg",59231,{"file":1539,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1540},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1200x630.jpeg",83410,{"file":1542,"width":67,"height":68,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1543},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-375x250.jpeg",21310,{"file":1545,"width":72,"height":73,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1546},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-960x641.jpeg",75450,{"file":1548,"width":77,"height":78,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1549},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1280x854.jpeg",114810,{"file":1551,"width":82,"height":83,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1552},"F2w7ptIW8AMbcq2-1920x1282.jpeg",213335,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":1554},[],{"primaryColor":1556,"blurhash":1557,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":20,"focalPointY":20},"#44443f","UbG8l:~WRjIU-Aw]RPM|NGSeR+X8xat6R*NG",{"id":1559,"guid":1560,"title":1561,"content":1562,"excerpt":1563,"excerptRaw":1563,"slug":1564,"url":1565,"uri":1566,"to":1566,"status":325,"date":1567,"modified":1568,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":1569},2102,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=2102","Mom names her baby “Thank you God-bless” as a tribute to the nurses who saved her life","\n\u003Cp>Young mom Nema Nzambi named her newborn Matondo Dieu-Benis in gratitude to the health workers who saved her life when she experienced birth complications. Matondo means “thank you” in Lingala and Dieu-Benis is French for “God-bless.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-4 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DRC-story-photo-1-300x200-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2104\" style=\"width:383px;height:auto\"/>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nema Nzambi with newborn baby Matondo Dieu-Benis.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>An unexpected pregnancy had completely upended this 19-year-old’s life. She abandoned her studies and isolated herself from her relatives and family. From being an extrovert and a valued community member, she became a recluse, fearing judgement and disrespect from e community members. This prevented her from seeking antenatal care at the health facility in her neighborhood. “[It’s] a health center I know well,” Nema says, “but because of the shame of being seen pregnant by a stranger, I not only wanted to end my life but also that of my sweet baby.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In her ninth month of pregnancy, Nema went into labor and began slowly bleeding. She discreetly called for help from a traditional birth attendant. Fortunately, the birth attendant contacted a community health worker who realized that Nema’s life might be threatened by excessive bleeding after delivery, or postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), and took Nema to the neighborhood community health center.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The World Health Organization (WHO) defines PPH as blood loss of 500 mL or more within 24 hours after childbirth. A leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, PPH affects an estimated 14 million women each year and results in around 70,000 deaths—mostly in low- and middle-income countries. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 68% of maternal deaths are due to PPH.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>At the health center, Nema received urgent care from providers trained in PPH management, including the WHO-recommended clinical bundle of the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news/item/09-05-2023-lifesaving-solution-dramatically-reduces-severe-bleeding-after-childbirth\">E-MOTIVE approach \u003C/a>. WHO recommends that all women giving birth should be offered uterotonics during the third stage of labor to prevent PPH. While oxytocin is recommended as the uterotonic drug of choice, it requires constant refrigeration—which can be challenging in resource-constrained settings with unreliable electricity. The AMPLI-PPHI project aims to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity through the use of quality-assured PPH drugs to prevent PPH at the community level during home births.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The AMPLI-PPHI project trained the community health worker and health facility staff who cared for Nema, and has been supporting 40 facilities and their surrounding communities in Kimpese and Kisantu districts in the DRC. Over 100 providers in the two districts have been trained and monitored by mentors and experts from the DRC’s Ministry of Public Health using training materials updated to align with WHO’s recommendations.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nema is highly aware of the danger she was in.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp id=\"block-002df25c-9392-43e8-bc38-31639af37ba6\">“Ignorance kills. I don’t know how to begin by thanking the CHW for bringing me here. I’ll never stop testifying to this special opportunity I’ve had. I didn’t know there could be such highly qualified and well-trained nurses. They just saved my life and that’s why this precious gift will be called Matondo Dieu-Benis.” – Nema Nzambi\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>The Unitaid-funded Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact (\u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/pph-Unitaid/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/a>) project (2022–2026) is a $24 million initiative that focuses on generating evidence and learning, creating an enabling environment, and preparing the market to enable broad uptake of three postpartum hemorrhage prevention drugs in low- and middle-income countries. The Unitaid-Jhpiego program is working in partnership with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), PATH and country governments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, India and Kenya to ensure PPH medications are available at the right time, in the right place, for the right indication and for the right patient across health systems. With complementary funding from Safe Birth Africa, a joint Unitaid-UNFPA venture backed by the European Union, AMPLI-PPHI expanded to Nigeria and Zambia in 2024 to bring greater access to pregnant women and stop bleeding after birth, ultimately reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Young mom Nema Nzambi named her newborn Matondo Dieu-Benis in gratitude to the health workers who saved her life.\u003C/p>\n","mom-names-her-baby-thank-you-god-bless-as-a-tribute-to-the-nurses-who-saved-her-life","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/mom-names-her-baby-thank-you-god-bless-as-a-tribute-to-the-nurses-who-saved-her-life/","/our-stories/p/mom-names-her-baby-thank-you-god-bless-as-a-tribute-to-the-nurses-who-saved-her-life/","2025-03-06T19:07:03","2025-08-08T20:19:35",{"id":1570,"src":1571,"width":18,"height":962,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1572,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1573,"srcset":1574,"sizes":26,"meta":1575,"acf":1616},2304,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy.jpg","DRC_Pregnancy","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w",{"width":18,"height":962,"file":1576,"filesize":1577,"sizes":1578,"imageMeta":1612},"2025/03/DRC_Pregnancy.jpg",883553,{"medium":1579,"large":1582,"thumbnail":1585,"mediumLarge":1588,"1536x1536":1591,"postThumbnail":1594,"socialPreview":1597,"smallPreview":1600,"mediumPreview":1603,"largePreview":1606,"fullscreenSmall":1609},{"file":1580,"width":33,"height":34,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1581},"DRC_Pregnancy-300x200.jpg",21299,{"file":1583,"width":38,"height":265,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1584},"DRC_Pregnancy-1024x683.jpg",167761,{"file":1586,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1587},"DRC_Pregnancy-150x150.jpg",10964,{"file":1589,"width":47,"height":272,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1590},"DRC_Pregnancy-768x512.jpg",103103,{"file":1592,"width":52,"height":38,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1593},"DRC_Pregnancy-1536x1024.jpg",335120,{"file":1595,"width":283,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1596},"DRC_Pregnancy-810x540.jpg",113328,{"file":1598,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1599},"DRC_Pregnancy-1200x630.jpg",184088,{"file":1601,"width":67,"height":68,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1602},"DRC_Pregnancy-375x250.jpg",31311,{"file":1604,"width":72,"height":293,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1605},"DRC_Pregnancy-960x640.jpg",150511,{"file":1607,"width":77,"height":1285,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1608},"DRC_Pregnancy-1280x853.jpg",245882,{"file":1610,"width":82,"height":77,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1611},"DRC_Pregnancy-1920x1280.jpg",496270,{"aperture":86,"credit":1613,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":1614,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":1615},"KAREL PRINSLOO","KAREL PRINSLOO / ARETE / JHPIEGO",[],{"primaryColor":1617,"blurhash":1618,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":20,"focalPointY":20},"#392025","UVFFT,%N_4-;o3xuSgofDjMxRiRjoMRjbaoL",{"id":279,"guid":1620,"title":1621,"content":1622,"excerpt":1623,"excerptRaw":1623,"slug":1624,"url":1625,"uri":1626,"to":1626,"status":325,"date":1627,"modified":1628,"type":328,"authorId":459,"featuredMedia":1629},"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=1366","A Journey to Safe Motherhood: Frontline health care workers save lives among women giving birth at home","\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Devnalya Village, Khargone District, Madhya Pradesh, India\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Saybi Saple, a resident of a remote village in central India, is one of around 2.4 million women who delivered her baby at home last year in the country. A Unitaid-funded project is working to ensure that all births, including home births, are safe, and to prevent women from excessive bleeding after birth—a leading cause of maternal death that claims around 7,200 precious lives in India and 85,000 globally.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Saybi is one of the women who benefited from this project. This is her story.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Saybi got pregnant for the third time when she and her husband were away from home on a work assignment. They are daily wage laborers and often need to travel to neighboring villages to find work, relying on physical labor to support their family of six—two sons and Dadiram’s parents. Six months into her pregnancy, when the couple returned home, Saybi was exceptionally pale and experiencing fatigue and headaches.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"840\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-1024x840.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1367\" style=\"width:564px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-1024x840.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-300x246.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-768x630.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-659x540.jpg 659w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-375x308.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-960x787.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A visit from Sangeeta Dawar and Akki Chauhan.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The 25-year-old mother recalls how she found it hard to manage the walk along the mud path that summer, followed by a three-kilometer uphill climb to reach her remote village. There was no public transport around their remote hut. She was used to the walk, but this pregnancy was taking a bigger toll on her than the earlier two.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Luckily, soon after Saybi’s return, help arrived at her doorstep. She received a visit from Sangeeta Dawar, a type of community health worker (CHW) referred to as an accredited social health activist (ASHA), and Akki Chauhan, a Field Officer with a community-based organization (CBO) called Pahal Jan Sahyog Vikas Sansthan. When Sangeeta and Akki met Saybi during their village rounds, they immediately registered the pregnancy and ensured that she attended a Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Day at the neighboring child health center. At this event, auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) Jaywanti Parate checked Saybi’s weight and blood pressure and conducted the necessary blood and urine tests. When Saybi’s tests revealed that she was highly anemic, Jaywanti gave her the required supplements, including iron and calcium. She emphasized the importance of a nutritious diet and asked Saybi to come back for regular follow-up visits.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Sangeeta and Akki knew that they needed to pay special attention to Saybi. Both of them, as well as Jaywanti, had received comprehensive training under the Unitaid-funded project called Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact (AMPLI-PPHI). The main goal of AMPLI-PPHI is to save women’s lives by preventing severe bleeding after childbirth, also known as postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). The project has aligned its PPH prevention and management strategies with the World Health Organization’s recommendation that every woman receive a uterotonic medicine to prevent PPH.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Saikiran Sambhaji Khandre, Program Officer of the AMPLI-PPHI project in Khargone District, explains the role of CHWs: “Their role is vital at the village level. Right from the time a pregnancy is registered, the ASHA, ANM and CBO partner use certain screening criteria to assess whether the pregnant woman would be likely to deliver at a health care facility or home—criteria include questions like whether any of the earlier deliveries have happened at home, does she live in a very remote area with poor accessibility, whether she has small children at home and no one to take care of them in her absence, etc. The CHWs continually encourage the women to deliver at a health facility. But if they sense that even after completing 35 weeks of pregnancy (end of eight months), a woman has a chance of home delivery, the ASHA visits the woman in her home and provides her with medicine [to prevent PPH].”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The process described by Saikiran is in keeping with the project’s objective to get lifesaving drugs into the hands of pregnant women who need them the most, women like Saybi. The facts that Saybi’s second child was delivered at home and that she lives far from to the nearest health facility made her an ideal candidate to receive PPH prevention medicine.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In India, the AMPLI-PPHI project is working across 84 health facilities and their neighboring communities in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The project has trained approximately 900 health facility staff in PPH management and around 200 CHWs in advance distribution of PPH prevention medicine for self administration.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“We provide thorough training to the CHWs and provide ASHAs with communication tools like flip-books and posters to assist them in accurate messaging. When the ASHA hands over the PPH prevention medicine to the woman in her home, she ensures that it is the entire family that learns its use and takes responsibility to keep it in an accessible, clean place. The ASHA instructs the woman to consume 600 micrograms or three tablets as soon as the baby is delivered, within a minute.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Ccite>Saikiran Sambhaji Khandre\u003C/cite>\u003C/blockquote>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Saybi and her mother-in-law remembered the instructions well and ensured that she took those three important tablets as soon as the baby was born. Saybi did not get PPH, and today, she and her four-month old baby, Neeraj, are both doing well.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As she sits at the door of her hut playing with Neeraj and his two brothers, Saybi thanks the CHWs who helped her through this last pregnancy. “I am so grateful to Akki and Sangeeta \u003Cem>Didi\u003C/em> [sister] for their help,” says the mother, with a happy smile. “Without them, I wouldn’t have known what to do during my delivery. The tablets they gave me saved my life and my baby’s life. I wish all women in our village could get this kind of care.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>About AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Unitaid-funded Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact (\u003Ca href=\"https://jhpiego.org/areas-of-expertise/ampli-pphi/\" data-type=\"area-of-expertise\" data-id=\"4926\">AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/a>) project (2022–2026) is a $24 million initiative that focuses on generating evidence and learning, creating an enabling environment, and preparing the market to enable broad uptake of three postpartum hemorrhage prevention drugs in low- and middle-income countries. The Unitaid-Jhpiego program is working in partnership with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), PATH and country governments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, India and Kenya to ensure PPH medications are available at the right time, in the right place, for the right indication and for the right patient across health systems. With complementary funding from Safe Birth Africa, a joint Unitaid-UNFPA venture backed by the European Union, AMPLI-PPHI expanded to Nigeria and Zambia in 2024 to bring greater access to pregnant women and stop bleeding after birth, ultimately reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Contributors: Dr. Chirag Bhola, Nabanita Das, and Indrani Kashyap\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Saybi Saple, a resident of a remote village in central India, is one of around 2.4 million women who delivered her baby at home last year in the country.\u003C/p>\n","a-journey-to-safe-motherhood","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/a-journey-to-safe-motherhood/","/our-stories/p/a-journey-to-safe-motherhood/","2025-03-06T17:13:51","2025-09-30T20:03:26",{"id":19,"src":1630,"width":62,"height":1631,"alt":20,"caption":1632,"title":1633,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1634,"srcset":1635,"sizes":337,"meta":1636,"acf":1672},"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2.jpg",984,"A visit from Sangeeta Dawar and Akki Chauhan.","ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2","\u003Cimg width=\"1200\" height=\"984\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2.jpg 1200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-300x246.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-1024x840.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-768x630.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-659x540.jpg 659w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-375x308.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-960x787.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2.jpg 1200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-300x246.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-1024x840.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-768x630.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-659x540.jpg 659w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-375x308.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-960x787.jpg 960w",{"width":62,"height":1631,"file":1637,"filesize":1638,"sizes":1639,"imageMeta":1669},"2025/03/ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2.jpg",348378,{"medium":1640,"large":1644,"thumbnail":1648,"mediumLarge":1651,"postThumbnail":1654,"socialPreview":1658,"smallPreview":1661,"mediumPreview":1665},{"file":1641,"width":33,"height":1642,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1643},"ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-300x246.jpg",246,29111,{"file":1645,"width":38,"height":1646,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1647},"ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-1024x840.jpg",840,145740,{"file":1649,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1650},"ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-150x150.jpg",15648,{"file":1652,"width":47,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1653},"ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-768x630.jpg",99354,{"file":1655,"width":1656,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1657},"ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-659x540.jpg",659,81217,{"file":1659,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1660},"ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-1200x630.jpg",123359,{"file":1662,"width":67,"height":1663,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1664},"ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-375x308.jpg",308,38557,{"file":1666,"width":72,"height":1667,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1668},"ASHA-distributing-Misoprostol-to-Saybi-2-Enhanced-SR_LE_upscale_gentle_x2-960x787.jpg",787,133510,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":1670,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":309,"keywords":1671},"1741249705",[],{"primaryColor":1673,"blurhash":1674},"#312624","ULG[7?D4*05Q00?aMx$*0dX-R4xatmD%o}S4",{"id":1676,"guid":1677,"title":1678,"content":1679,"excerpt":1680,"excerptRaw":1680,"slug":1681,"url":1682,"uri":1683,"to":1683,"status":325,"date":1684,"modified":1685,"type":328,"authorId":459,"featuredMedia":1686},125,"https://jhpiego.flywheelsites.com/?p=125","Helping a Teen Mom Dream Again","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/d060eebf6d58e7d15421a6094721f3eb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-626\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/d060eebf6d58e7d15421a6094721f3eb.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/d060eebf6d58e7d15421a6094721f3eb-300x201.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/d060eebf6d58e7d15421a6094721f3eb-768x514.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/d060eebf6d58e7d15421a6094721f3eb-807x540.jpg 807w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/d060eebf6d58e7d15421a6094721f3eb-375x251.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/d060eebf6d58e7d15421a6094721f3eb-960x642.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jovie Erillia, 19 at her current home in in Santa Margarita in Samar, Philippines\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When we met 19-year-old Jovie Erillia, mother to two-year-old Jhon Kyle, at her home in Santa Margarita in Samar, Philippines, she was living with her partner and his family. \u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>She had just turned 16 when she realized she was pregnant, the only one among her friends to face a pregnancy while still in school. “Shocked” is the word she uses for herself and her family when they learned of the pregnancy. Overwhelmed, Jovie left school and moved into her partner’s home. She saw her dreams of becoming a teacher come to a screeching halt. She felt no hope for her future.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"361\" height=\"385\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/image-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-627\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/image-1.jpg 361w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/image-1-281x300.jpg 281w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 361px) 100vw, 361px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Midwife Evelyn Tangaran at the adolescent clinic\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"361\" height=\"385\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/image.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-628\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/image.jpg 361w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/image-281x300.jpg 281w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 361px) 100vw, 361px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Evelyn conducting a group session with adolescents\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A local community health worker linked Jovie with the rural health unit (RHU) in Santa Margarita, where she met Jhpiego-trained midwife Evelyn Tangaran. Evelyn runs the adolescent clinic at the RHU, which Jhpiego helped to set up. The counseling Evelyn provided around safe pregnancy and delivery helped put Jovie’s mind at ease and gave her hope that her pregnancy would not mean an end to her dreams.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The trainings I received from Jhpiego taught me to be more sensitive, more effective, and tailor my services to be adolescent-friendly. It has greatly improved my communication skills with adolescents as well,” says the midwife, explaining how she was able to get through to Jovie.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-6 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"513\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/00450f1329354656803b65b27ccb8db1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-629\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/00450f1329354656803b65b27ccb8db1.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/00450f1329354656803b65b27ccb8db1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/00450f1329354656803b65b27ccb8db1-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Jovie remembers to have her contraceptive pills daily as she knows it will protect her from an unplanned pregnancy\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Teenage pregnancy is a common phenomenon throughout the globe, including in the Philippines.\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 21 million girls aged 15–19 years in developing regions become pregnant each year, and about 12 million of them give birth. According to the University of the Philippines Population Institute’s 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study, 386,000 or 6.8% of Filipino girls aged 15–19 had already begun childbearing.\u003C/p>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego is a technical partner in the Oxfam Canada-led and Global Affairs Canada-funded Sexual Health and Empowerment project, which seeks to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and girls in six underserved, conflict-affected and disadvantaged regions of the Philippines. To reach this goal, Jhpiego is improving the capacity of the public and private health systems to provide comprehensive and gender-responsive SRHR information and services. This includes providing training to health service providers, strengthening comprehensive SRHR services in health facilities to ensure that they are youth- and gender-responsive, and enhancing the management and coordination of SRHR and gender-based violence services to support referral and linkage to care.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After Jovie delivered baby Jhon, Midwife Evelyn continued to ensure the health and safety of mom and baby, providing Jhon with timely immunizations. She also connected Jovie with an alternative learning system designed for out-of-school youth to complete their education, and Jovie has returned to her studies.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Since its start, the Sexual Health and Empowerment project has reached 6,621 women, as well as 315 men, 611 girls and 224 boys through family planning outreach and practicum service provision during training of health care providers. The project also helped to refurbish 63 health facilities to be adolescent friendly.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dbd52ec89896cb418f9a0da7439b13d3-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-630\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dbd52ec89896cb418f9a0da7439b13d3-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dbd52ec89896cb418f9a0da7439b13d3-300x201.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dbd52ec89896cb418f9a0da7439b13d3-768x513.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dbd52ec89896cb418f9a0da7439b13d3-808x540.jpg 808w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dbd52ec89896cb418f9a0da7439b13d3-375x251.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dbd52ec89896cb418f9a0da7439b13d3-960x642.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dbd52ec89896cb418f9a0da7439b13d3-1280x856.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/dbd52ec89896cb418f9a0da7439b13d3.jpg 1430w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Jovie remembers to have her contraceptive pills daily as she knows it will protect her from an unplanned pregnancy\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jovie now uses contraceptive pills, which she receives for free from midwife Evelyn at the RHU. She feels that her dream of becoming a teacher is within reach again. Once she becomes a teacher, she says, she is committed to teaching adolescent boys and girls about sexual and reproductive health and rights.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Two-year-old Jhon is clearly the apple of her eye. Jovie only wishes he had come after she and her partner had completed their education and had stable careers. “I want my son to finish his studies and not have to face roadblocks like I had to,” she concludes.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Indrani Kashyap is associate director of regional communications for Jhpiego.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jeremiah Eleazer Sotto, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer for Jhpiego Philippines also contributed to the story\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The story has been technically reviewed by Meghan Greeley, Senior Technical Advisor at Jhpiego\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Jovie Erillia had just turned 16 when she realized she was pregnant. She saw her dreams of becoming a teacher come to a screeching halt. But then she met Evelyn, a community health worker, who helped put Jovie’s mind at ease and gave her hope that her pregnancy would not mean an end to her dreams.\u003C/p>\n","helping-a-teen-mom-dream-again","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/helping-a-teen-mom-dream-again/","/our-stories/p/helping-a-teen-mom-dream-again/","2024-10-09T07:49:00","2025-08-15T13:54:58",{"id":1687,"src":1688,"width":1689,"height":1690,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1691,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1692,"srcset":1693,"sizes":1694,"meta":1695,"acf":1734},1328,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5.jpg",1430,956,"Picture5","\u003Cimg width=\"1430\" height=\"956\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5.jpg 1430w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-300x201.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-768x513.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-808x540.jpg 808w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-375x251.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-960x642.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-1280x856.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1430px) 100vw, 1430px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5.jpg 1430w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-300x201.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-768x513.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-808x540.jpg 808w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-375x251.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-960x642.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Picture5-1280x856.jpg 1280w","(max-width: 1430px) 100vw, 1430px",{"width":1689,"height":1690,"file":1696,"filesize":1697,"sizes":1698,"imageMeta":1732},"2025/03/Picture5.jpg",347530,{"medium":1699,"large":1703,"thumbnail":1707,"mediumLarge":1710,"postThumbnail":1713,"socialPreview":1717,"smallPreview":1720,"mediumPreview":1724,"largePreview":1728},{"file":1700,"width":33,"height":1701,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1702},"Picture5-300x201.jpg",201,18982,{"file":1704,"width":38,"height":1705,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1706},"Picture5-1024x685.jpg",685,126634,{"file":1708,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1709},"Picture5-150x150.jpg",8191,{"file":1711,"width":47,"height":48,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1712},"Picture5-768x513.jpg",81735,{"file":1714,"width":1715,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1716},"Picture5-808x540.jpg",808,88824,{"file":1718,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1719},"Picture5-1200x630.jpg",128690,{"file":1721,"width":67,"height":1722,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1723},"Picture5-375x251.jpg",251,27451,{"file":1725,"width":72,"height":1726,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1727},"Picture5-960x642.jpg",642,114570,{"file":1729,"width":77,"height":1730,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1731},"Picture5-1280x856.jpg",856,177371,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":309,"keywords":1733},[],{"primaryColor":1735,"blurhash":1736,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":1737,"focalPointY":1738},"#545526","UFE{LC79S#}@b,-:VabH9t$+ajNF-;nfkTov","74.2","27.2",{"id":1740,"guid":1741,"title":1742,"content":1743,"excerpt":1744,"excerptRaw":1744,"slug":1745,"url":1746,"uri":1747,"to":1747,"status":325,"date":1748,"modified":1749,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":1750},3456,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3456","Prevention Is Self-Care","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"660\" height=\"408\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3457\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024.jpg 660w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024-300x185.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024-375x232.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>Ending the HIV epidemic requires fully engaging those who are pregnant and postpartum\u003C/em>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While global health and well-being universally stand to benefit as self-care interventions expand, to meet the goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030, two very special and specific types of clients must be engaged more meaningfully: those who are pregnant and postpartum.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Historically, HIV prevention efforts have focused on key populations. More recently, adolescent girls and young women have been recognized as a priority population. However, data show that women who are pregnant and postpartum are also particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. The time is past due for us to not only partner with these clients, but also offer self-care options to provide services that traditionally have been limited to health care professionals. As co-designers and contributors to their own care, these clients can help accelerate progress toward the 2030 goal of ending an epidemic that has killed over 42 million people since 1981.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We know that being pregnant increases the risk of acquiring HIV threefold, and being postpartum increases that risk fourfold, compared to other times in people’s lives. The reasons are not completely clear but may be biological, behavioral or cultural.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Research reveals that if a person acquires HIV during pregnancy or the postpartum period, there is a higher risk of vertical transmission (of the baby acquiring HIV) than if the mother acquired HIV prior to pregnancy. In fact, an estimated 23% of vertical transmissions globally are due to HIV infections that happen \u003Cem>during \u003C/em>pregnancy and the postpartum period. All this evidence points to the pregnancy and postnatal periods as critical times of opportunity for expanding access to HIV prevention services—particularly those options that increase a client’s agency and protect their privacy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Imagine two women living in Africa. One is a single pregnant teenager who, experiencing poverty, depends on transactional sex to buy food and clothing. She was relieved when an HIV test given early in her pregnancy was negative. The other woman is a 30-year-old mother of five young children—including a breastfeeding infant. Her husband, a fisherman, doesn’t use condoms; he hides the fact that he sometimes has other sexual partners when he travels away from his village for work.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Both of these women—already facing the possibility of acquiring HIV—are much more likely to acquire HIV when they are pregnant or postpartum. It’s common around the world for women who are pregnant to get tested for HIV and be offered HIV treatment if needed to protect themselves and their babies. But it’s rare that they know about the heightened risk of HIV during pregnancy and postpartum, and that there are safe and effective HIV prevention options.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Evidence shows that oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the dapivirine vaginal ring are safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as is post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for those who may be exposed to HIV unexpectedly. Our collective experience as clinicians, program managers and researchers working across disciplines in HIV/AIDS and reproductive health convinces us there needs to be expanded access—beyond PrEP clinics—to all these options. If we take away barriers to knowledge and care for people who are marginalized, women who are pregnant and postpartum will access what they need for themselves and their babies to be healthy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With 2030 looming, and the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240077065\">Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the balance\u003C/a>, the world has only around 15 percent of the number of nurses and midwives needed. The global shortage of physicians is also dire, especially in areas most impacted by the HIV epidemic. Despite efforts to expand, design, execute and incentivize an adequate health care workforce, the majority of global citizens don’t have adequate access to health care providers.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat depends on our kick-starting a radical re-shaping of client care. While the world looks to expanding primary and community-based health care, women who are pregnant and postpartum should not be left behind.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As a complement to building more comprehensive, high-quality antenatal and postnatal care services, HIV testing and a range of PrEP and PEP options that are safe during pregnancy and postpartum—including self-care methods—could be made fully available and accessible to all. Online pharmacies and local community pharmacies, which are open from dawn until almost midnight, could offer these services to those who fear being stigmatized if they seek a test or HIV prevention options. With strong alignment with local regulatory frameworks, appropriate health system linkages and community engagement, this approach holds great promise, and the feasibility and acceptability of these new options deserve to be tested and better understood.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Fostering a dramatic evolution of client-centered care requires putting HIV prevention into the hands of those who need it most, including those who are pregnant and postpartum. If prevention is the ultimate in self-care, which we believe it is, then it stands to reason that sustainable health systems and our achievement of global goals depend upon putting HIV prevention squarely and securely in the hands of all priority populations, including pregnant and postpartum women.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Nthuseng Marake, MBChB, BSc. (Hons), is the HIV Treatment and Care Officer with the Ministry of Health of Lesotho.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Rosemary Njura Njogu is a Senior Technical Advisor with Jhpiego\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Tigistu Adamu Ashengo, MD, MPH, is Jhpiego’s Chief Medical Officer.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Lisa Noguchi, PhD, CNM, FACNM, is Jhpiego’s Director for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and a member of the Guideline Development Group for the WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, 2022 revision.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Kelly Curran, MHS, is Jhpiego’s Senior Director for HIV and Infectious Diseases. She also directs the PEPFAR/USAID-funded Reaching Impact, Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE) Project.  \u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Pregnancy and postpartum bring a heightened, but often overlooked, risk of HIV infection. To end the epidemic by 2030, we must ensure women in these critical periods have access to safe, effective prevention options, including self-care tools that put protection in their own hands.\u003C/p>\n","prevention-is-self-care","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/prevention-is-self-care/","/our-stories/p/prevention-is-self-care/","2024-09-17T00:13:00","2025-08-08T20:20:39",{"id":1751,"src":1752,"width":1753,"height":1754,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1755,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1756,"srcset":1757,"sizes":1758,"meta":1759,"acf":1776},3457,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024.jpg",660,408,"Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024","\u003Cimg width=\"660\" height=\"408\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024.jpg 660w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024-300x185.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024-375x232.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024.jpg 660w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024-300x185.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024-375x232.jpg 375w","(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px",{"width":1753,"height":1754,"file":1760,"filesize":1761,"sizes":1762,"imageMeta":1774},"2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024.jpg",38674,{"medium":1763,"thumbnail":1767,"smallPreview":1770},{"file":1764,"width":33,"height":1765,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1766},"Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024-300x185.jpg",185,10181,{"file":1768,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1769},"Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024-150x150.jpg",5188,{"file":1771,"width":67,"height":1772,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1773},"Jhpiego-Blog-Self-Care-9-17-2024-375x232.jpg",232,13998,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":1775},[],{"primaryColor":1777,"blurhash":1778},"#c2bcbe","UCJ[3U4m01I@?Is+00ITYQ-p8wWr_NkXS4s:",{"id":1780,"guid":1781,"title":1782,"content":1783,"excerpt":1784,"excerptRaw":20,"slug":1785,"url":1786,"uri":1787,"to":1787,"status":325,"date":1788,"modified":1789,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":314},4131,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=4131","RISE Provides HIV Services Support for Infants and their Families","\n\u003Cp>During an antenatal care visit in Luanda, Angola’s capital, Laurinda, a 39-year-old mother, tested positive for HIV. The diagnosis devastated her. But, Laurinda took the next step to preserve her health and safeguard the health of her children. Four months pregnant, she immediately began antiretroviral treatment (ART).\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, adhering to treatment proved challenging. After Laurinda gave birth to twin girls, her partner passed away. Then, her mother-in-law evicted her and the twins. Laurinda was overwhelmed. “I abandoned treatment because the difficulties I was facing were too many,” she said. “I would go more than 24 hours without eating anything and I did not have a job, and, therefore, I had no money to get to the health facility.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Laurinda’s situation highlights how difficult family circumstances can impact a person’s ability to maintain lifesaving health treatments. However, with support from the U.S. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.state.gov/pepfar/\">President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief \u003C/a>(PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Reaching Impact, Saturation, and Epidemic Control (RISE) project in Angola is helping families like Laurinda’s find a pathway to consistent HIV care and a healthy life.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After months of struggling, Laurinda found the courage to contact her Aunt Augusta, a traditional birth attendant (TBA) who lived in Huambo. She helped Laurinda move back to her hometown when the twins were 10 months old. Augusta had recently attended a meeting convened by RISE Angola to foster a \u003Ca href=\"https://icap.columbia.edu/news-events/empowering-traditional-birth-attendants-collaborative-hiv-care-supports-pregnant-and-breastfeeding-women-in-angola/\">referral partnership between RISE HIV community counselors and TBAs\u003C/a> to ensure that newborns are tested for HIV if their mothers didn’t get proper antenatal care. Early diagnosis of infants has been a challenge in areas of Angola, as has ensuring that children living with HIV receive treatment. According to UNAIDS (2022), around 310,000 people in Angola live with HIV/AIDS. However, ART coverage is insufficient, reaching only 49% of adults and 22% of children who need treatment.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Based on what she learned at the meeting, Augusta knew that Laurinda’s twins could be at risk for HIV since their mother was not on treatment, and the twins had not yet been tested for HIV.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Augusta referred her niece to RISE HIV community counselor Amelia Nafulo Kuyungo, who had just been trained in dried blood spot (DBS) testing, which is used to test infants for HIV. The training is part of a pilot project between RISE Angola and the National HIV and AIDS Institute. Implemented by RISE consortium partner ICAP, the project enables DBS samples to be collected by lay counselors like Amelia directly in communities rather than only in hospitals or laboratories. Huambo was selected as the pilot because its coverage of early infant diagnosis was just 36 percent, the lowest of the four provinces supported by PEPFAR. A month after the pilot began in April 2024, 29 samples from infants had been collected in the community, 24 (82 percent) were from infants less than two months of age.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>At the end of April, Amelia traveled to Laurinda’s home and collected the DBS samples from her twins. She also took Laurinda to CS Benfica Baixo, one of the four ART health facilities in Huambo supported by PEPFAR, to re-initiate ART. Given the precarious economic conditions in which Laurinda was living with her children, RISE also provided food baskets for the family and advocated for more support from the provincial public health team. By the end of May, the test results for the twins came back negative, bringing immense joy to the family and their community of supporters.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"864\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-provides-hiv-services-Image-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4132\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-provides-hiv-services-Image-1.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-provides-hiv-services-Image-1-300x270.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-provides-hiv-services-Image-1-768x691.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-provides-hiv-services-Image-1-600x540.jpg 600w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-provides-hiv-services-Image-1-375x338.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>RISE HIV community counselor Amelia Nafulo Kuyungo prepares to take a blood sample.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The help that I am receiving now means a lot to me,” Laurinda said. “I really do not have words to express my gratitude. The food baskets have allowed me to introduce the twins to other foods and minimize their exposure to the virus [through breastmilk].”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The DBS samples from Laurinda’s twins were the fourth and fifth samples Amelia had collected after her training.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“It is a huge responsibility, but I do it happily,” Amelia said, reflecting on her DBS work. “Some of the infants are from mothers who I have been supporting since early in their pregnancies, so being able to now offer DBS to them is great because it gives me more autonomy to ensure that mother and child are well taken care of. I now can address the common problem that many mothers have, which is the lack of money to get to and from a health facility to bring their infants in for testing before they turn two months of age.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Through RISE Angola, Amelia will continue to support Laurinda and her twins until the twins are 18 months old and Laurinda’s health has stabilized.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>RISE Angola, the National HIV and AIDS Institute and PEPFAR’s laboratory partner, AFENET, meet twice a month to monitor the results of the pilot project, which is expected to last through September 2024. Based on the results and lessons learned, RISE Angola hopes to expand the pilot to other provinces.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The joy that I feel when I find four- and six-week-old babies who need our support fills me with pride,” Amelia said. “I am convinced that we will continue to find and help many more.”\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>During an antenatal care visit in Luanda, Angola’s capital, Laurinda, a 39-year-old mother, tested positive for HIV. The diagnosis devastated…\u003C/p>\n","rise-provides-hiv-services-support-for-infants-and-their-families","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/rise-provides-hiv-services-support-for-infants-and-their-families/","/our-stories/p/rise-provides-hiv-services-support-for-infants-and-their-families/","2024-08-08T18:12:00","2025-08-14T18:15:17",{"id":1791,"guid":1792,"title":1793,"content":1794,"excerpt":1795,"excerptRaw":1795,"slug":1796,"url":1797,"uri":1798,"to":1798,"status":325,"date":1799,"modified":1800,"type":328,"authorId":459,"featuredMedia":1801},1349,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=1349","Unitaid and Jhpiego reach first women with prevention and treatment for life-threatening bleeding","\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Geneva/Baltimore, 9 July 2024 – \u003C/strong>Three critical drugs for preventing and treating postpartum hemorrhage – the leading cause of death in childbirth – have reached women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, India and Kenya through a Unitaid-funded, Jhpiego-led program.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Postpartum hemorrhage, which is defined as a severe loss of blood after giving birth, affects 14 million women each year. Four in five resulting deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries where access to life-saving medicines is limited.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Currently, most women who give birth in resource-limited settings do so without access to quality medicines that can prevent or treat life-threatening complications like postpartum hemorrhage. Although three World Health Organization recommended drugs have the potential to expand prevention and treatment options for women, including those who give birth at home, many health facilities still rely heavily on a medicine that requires cold-chain storage and is often of poor quality.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:40%\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"676\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-676x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1351\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-676x1024.jpg 676w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-198x300.jpg 198w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-768x1164.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-1013x1536.jpg 1013w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-1351x2048.jpg 1351w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-356x540.jpg 356w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-375x568.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-960x1455.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1-1280x1940.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/MG_5288-1-scaled-1.jpg 1689w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Patients wait to be seen at a rural health clinic near to Narok, Kenya on the 24th January 2012. The whole of Kenya has been experiencing a shortage of HIV testing kits since late December so many people who are travelling to VCT’s can’t be tested.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:60%\">\n\u003Cp>The Unitaid-Jhpiego program is working in partnership with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), PATH and country governments to ensure that the right medications for postpartum hemorrhage are available when, where and how women giving birth in lower-resourced settings need them, to reduce maternal death.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With tens of thousands of medicine doses already delivered and more than 1500 healthcare workers trained in the safe administration or delivery of the three medicines, the program is on track to reach an estimated 100,000 pregnant women across the four countries each year. \u003C/p>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca>“Far too often we see drugs developed with high-income health systems in mind, neglecting the needs of people in lower-income settings and contributing to enormous inequities,” said Dr. Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid. “Unitaid is proud to be working with Jhpiego and all our partners to address this oversight and promote safe births for women everywhere.”\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The \u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/pph-Unitaid/\">AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/a> (Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact) project focuses on generating evidence and learning, creating an enabling environment, and preparing the market to enable broad uptake of the three drugs – heat-stable carbetocin, tranexamic acid and misoprostol – in low- and middle-income countries.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Now, with an additional $5.9 million (EUR5.5 million) in funding from Unitaid, the program is expanding efforts to generate evidence and learning as well as create an enabling environment in Nigeria and Zambia as part of Safe Birth Africa, a new \u003Ca href=\"https://unitaid.org/news-blog/joint-unfpa-unitaid-venture-backed-by-major-eu-funding-aims-to-eliminate-the-leading-cause-of-mothers-dying-in-childbirth-in-africa/#en\">joint Unitaid-UNFPA venture backed by the European Union\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Women in sub-Saharan Africa suffer disproportionately high risks in pregnancy and childbirth, and Nigeria, which represents less than 3% of the world’s population, accounts for 20% of all maternal deaths globally.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Supporting countries to improve maternal health has been at the core of Jhpiego’s work since we began working with countries over 50 years ago,” said Dr. Leslie Mancuso, Jhpiego President and CEO. “We are honored to be part of this innovative project that joins quality care and lifesaving medicines to stop postpartum hemorrhage, a leading cause of maternal deaths worldwide. The project learnings and improved market conditions provide low- and middle-income countries a timely, woman-centered strategy to stop bleeding after birth.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Safe Birth Africa and the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/pph-Unitaid/\">AMPLI-PPHI\u003C/a> project are part of \u003Ca href=\"https://unitaid.org/news-blog/unitaid-us45m-investment-severe-bleeding-after-childbirth/#en\">Unitaid’s broader commitment to reduce deaths from postpartum hemorrhage\u003C/a> in low- and middle-income countries, with more than US$65 million currently invested.\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Postpartum hemorrhage, which is defined as a severe loss of blood after giving birth, affects 14 million women each year.\u003C/p>\n","unitaid-and-jhpiego-reach-first-women-with-prevention-and-treatment-for-life-threatening-bleeding","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/unitaid-and-jhpiego-reach-first-women-with-prevention-and-treatment-for-life-threatening-bleeding/","/our-stories/p/unitaid-and-jhpiego-reach-first-women-with-prevention-and-treatment-for-life-threatening-bleeding/","2024-07-09T23:17:00","2025-08-08T20:20:45",{"id":1190,"src":1802,"width":162,"height":250,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1803,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1804,"srcset":1805,"sizes":255,"meta":1806,"acf":1855},"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC_0786-scaled-1.jpg","DSC_0786-scaled","\u003Cimg width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC_0786-scaled-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC_0786-scaled-1.jpg 2560w, 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D3100","1398256076","18","400","0.0125",[],{"primaryColor":1856,"blurhash":1857,"videoUrl":20,"focalPointX":1858,"focalPointY":1859},"#322f34","UUIO%__2V@M|008{NFozITtRt5Ri?wx@t8aL","48.1","49.8",{"id":1861,"guid":1862,"title":1863,"content":1864,"excerpt":1865,"excerptRaw":1865,"slug":1866,"url":1867,"uri":1868,"to":1868,"status":325,"date":1869,"modified":1870,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":1871},4097,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=4097","RISE Oxygen Infrastructure Project","\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How clinicians saved baby Hudheifa’s life\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>During the 32\u003Csup>nd\u003C/sup> week of her pregnancy, Halima Mohammed went into labor and was rushed to the Garissa Level 5 Hospital where she delivered a son. Hudheifa, whose name means “Companion of the Prophet” in Arabic, developed severe Respiratory Distress Syndrome. The condition arises in premature babies whose lungs have not fully developed and cannot provide enough oxygen for them. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"591\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4099\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-300x231.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-702x540.jpg 702w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-375x289.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>“I started crying because I was not sure he would live. He was so small and could not suckle; but Dr Abdirahman and the nurses assured me that he would be okay\u003C/em>.” — Halima Mohammed\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The nurses and Abdirahman Adnan, a pediatric clinician at Garissa´s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), prescribed medical oxygen as a fundamental component of the treatment to save Hudheifa’s life. The clinicians assured the distraught mother that the hospital had a steady, uninterrupted supply of oxygen and that the health providers in the newborn unit had been trained to properly administer the oxygen and basic emergency care. Garissa is one of the five hospitals in Kenya that received support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the donation of a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen production plant and technical assistance on the management and provision of oxygen therapy by the \u003Ca href=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/RISE-COVID-Briefer_March-2022.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/RISE-COVID-Briefer_March-2022.pdf\">Reaching Impact, Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE)\u003C/a> project, implemented by Jhpiego, in partnership with PSM/Chemonics. USAID also provided the facilities with\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>commodities for both oxygen delivery to patients and maintenance of the plant for effective response to COVID-19 among other emergencies that require oxygen supplementation. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The PSA oxygen generating plant can provide 283 litres of oxygen per minute, which is able to fill 10 cylinders of 50kg in 24 hours and serve patients like baby Hudheifa who represent \u003Ca href=\"https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(09)70071-4/fulltext\">10 to 15% of all pediatric admissions\u003C/a> in healthcare facilities. With the installation of the plant, the facility has been able to adequately meet its oxygen needs. Additionally, the facility shares the filled cylinders with other health facilities whose patients need oxygen.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>“With the knowledge gained from the Basic Emergency Care course, it was easy. Hudheifa was treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, (CPAP), where the steady flow of air with oxygen coming in through the tubes from the machines keeps enough pressure in the lungs to prevent the air sacs from collapsing after each breath, until Hudheifa could breathe on his own,” \u003C/em>Mr. Abdirahman explained.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca>\u003C/a>Eleven days later, Hudheifa was weaned off oxygen and could be fed by the mother with expressed breast milk using a cup and spoon.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Garissa, an expansive county of 45,000 square kilometers—almost the size of the state of New York— did not have a source of oxygen, an essential medicine used to care for severely ill patients at all levels of the healthcare system, including: surgery, trauma, asthma, pneumonia, critical care and/or maternity and pediatric wards. This deficiency contributes to the county’s maternal mortality of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.knbs.or.ke/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-Economic-Survey1.pdf\">642 deaths per 100,000 live births\u003C/a>, the highest in Kenya. Apart from the county’s 1 million population, it also holds the highest number of refugees in Kenya. The County’s Executive Committee Member (CEC) in charge of health, Ahmednadhir Omar, said the county spent as much as KSH 6,000,000 or $42,254 annually and KSH 500,00 or $3,521 monthly purchasing oxygen from a source in Nairobi, more than 300 kilometers away. This created a financial strain on the cash-strapped county as builds its health infrastructure.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Severe respiratory distress, and other forms of hypoxia, can be difficult to treat if providers are not trained on the best techniques and proper oxygen dosing. Evidence-based oxygen titration and weaning need to be mastered to ensure proper dosage for a patient’s age and weight. As an example, over-administration of oxygen can lead to oxygen toxicity and organ damage, including blindness. To address this gap in clinician knowledge, RISE trained 12 medical officers, nurses, and anesthetists from Garissa County Referral Hospital in Basic Emergency Care (BEC) and rational use of oxygen.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"928\" height=\"604\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4102\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-2.jpg 928w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-2-300x195.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-2-768x500.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-2-830x540.jpg 830w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-2-375x244.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px\" />\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Before the training in BEC, nurses always had to wait until a doctor was available to intubate a severely sick child, losing valuable time that the child didn’t have to spare. The neonatal period – the first 28 days of life – is the most vulnerable time for a child’s survival. According to KDHS 2022, neonatal deaths account for 66% of infant deaths, partly due to the delicate care that neonates need. Rithwan Yusug, a nurse at the Garissa facility who received the RISE training and took care of Hudheifa, said, \u003Cem>“I have learned to intubate, resuscitate and administer oxygen to neonates, and that is really important.”\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Through the COVID-19 technical assistance, Nurse Rithwan said that she also learned how to use equipment to administer oxygen. She acquired knowledge on various instruments, including a pulse oximeter, which is a non-invasive tool. This device is attached to the patient’s finger using a clip and effectively calculates the blood oxygen saturation level, indicating the percentage of oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood. The results are shown on a monitor along with the patient’s pulse rate. The device emits an audible beep at concentrations below 94% which signals the healthcare providers to action, shortening the turn-around time. The correct use and interpretation of the results is of most importance as a third of the neonates who die in the facility present with asphyxia— when a child is deprived of oxygen during birth or immediately after. To save these children, the clinicians need to administer oxygen immediately after birth in an evidence-based manner and need to interpret the oxygen level results obtained precisely.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Through the COVID-19 response, RISE has supported the strengthening of the oxygen ecosystem by working with PSM in the installation and operation of five PSA oxygen production plants and building capacity in 98 health facilities. The life-saving training in BEC and the rational use of oxygen has been delivered to 223 additional health care providers in 13 counties across the country.\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>During the 32nd week of her pregnancy, Halima Mohammed went into labor and was rushed to Hospital where she delivered a son who developed severe Respiratory Distress Syndrome and was in need of oxygen.\u003C/p>\n","rise-oxygen-infrastructure-project","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/rise-oxygen-infrastructure-project/","/our-stories/p/rise-oxygen-infrastructure-project/","2024-07-01T17:53:00","2025-08-17T15:12:44",{"id":1872,"src":1873,"width":47,"height":1874,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1875,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1876,"srcset":1877,"sizes":1878,"meta":1879,"acf":1900},4099,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1.jpg",591,"Story-Rise oxygen-Image 1","\u003Cimg width=\"768\" height=\"591\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-300x231.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-702x540.jpg 702w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-375x289.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-300x231.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-702x540.jpg 702w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-375x289.jpg 375w","(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px",{"width":47,"height":1874,"file":1880,"filesize":1881,"sizes":1882,"imageMeta":1898},"2025/08/Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1.jpg",78289,{"medium":1883,"thumbnail":1887,"postThumbnail":1890,"smallPreview":1894},{"file":1884,"width":33,"height":1885,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1886},"Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-300x231.jpg",231,15617,{"file":1888,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1889},"Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-150x150.jpg",6276,{"file":1891,"width":1892,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1893},"Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-702x540.jpg",702,58455,{"file":1895,"width":67,"height":1896,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1897},"Story-Rise-oxygen-Image-1-375x289.jpg",289,22410,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":1899},[],{"primaryColor":1901,"blurhash":1902},"#232d52","UNEV~l~W_2S7-QWXIUIUD%RiM_ogt8xaxukD",{"id":1904,"guid":1905,"title":1906,"content":1907,"excerpt":1908,"excerptRaw":1908,"slug":1909,"url":1910,"uri":1911,"to":1911,"status":325,"date":1912,"modified":1913,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":1914},3474,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3474","A Leader in Lifesaving Newborn Care","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3475\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1920x1281.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I first learned about Dr. Abhay Bang a dozen years ago, when I moved to Uttar Pradesh, India, to work on rural newborn health programs. I had just finished training in pediatrics in a tertiary academic hospital in Washington, D.C., so I had a lot to learn about rural newborn health in developing countries. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/7211276\">Dr. Bang’s seminal papers were my compass\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Prior to Dr. Bang’s research, which he started in the 1990s, global health specialists didn’t give much thought to small and sick newborns born in rural villages—the prevailing assumption was they needed high-cost intensive care units to survive. Instead, they focused on lower-hanging fruit like vaccinations. Dr. Bang challenged this assumption. He showed that with home-based newborn care—providing support for breastfeeding, thermal care, infection detection and appropriate treatment with antibiotics—you could indeed save newborn lives. A lot of them. He lived the experience of the community, the women and families, he chose to serve.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3476\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-02.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Dr. Abhay Bang’s work with indigenous people in Maharashtra influenced the care of newborns in the community and saved lives.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A problem solver\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When my family planned a trip to India this year for a family reunion, I decided it was time to meet the man who changed the way the world thinks about dying newborns. The 13-hour drive from my parent’s hometown in Pune, India, on the west side of Maharashtra State, to Dr. Bang’s home in Gadchiroli, on the east side, might deter the most steadfast. But I knew in my heart that I would be missing out on an important experience and professional lesson if I didn’t go.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Abhay Bang grew up in the late Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram. His father was an economics professor and part of Gandhi’s “Quit India Movement,” which called for an end to British rule. His mother was the principal at the school Dr. Bang attended, where students primarily learned through doing and living, rather than traditional classroom methods.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After his training, Dr. Bang forwent invitations from big institutions in Delhi. He chose instead to move to rural Gadchiroli, to immerse himself in the problems he was trying to solve and to “go to the villages of India,” as Gandhi had once instructed his followers, including Dr. Bang’s father.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"770\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3477\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-03.jpg 580w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-03-226x300.jpg 226w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-03-407x540.jpg 407w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-03-375x498.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Dr. Bina Valsangkar with Dr. Abhay Bang: a once in a lifetime visit.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Home-based newborn care\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With a rich culture and tradition quite different from the rest of India, indigenous populations have historically been marginalized and denied basic rights. Even when a government hospital might be within reach, indigenous villagers tend not to go. Having lived in the community, Dr. Bang understood why.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>He built a hospital where doctors did not wear white coats (the villagers wrap their dead in white). He built a temple at the entrance (they believe god is the primary healer, not doctors). He built the hospital as a series of thatched-roof huts that resembled a hamlet (to accommodate multi-generational family members, who typically care for the sick). And because the cultural practice of confinement prevented women who had recently given birth from seeking care, Dr. Bang brought the care to them via home-based newborn care. Dr. Bang and others conducted studies to determine if low birth weight and preterm babies could be cared for at home by their mother and a trained village health worker. The result was a \u003Ca href=\"https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211276\">62% drop in the newborn mortality rate\u003C/a> in intervention villages, compared to control villages.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ground-breaking work relevant today\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp> As newborn mortality rates declined worldwide, thanks in part to Dr. Bang’s ground-breaking work, global health specialists’ attention turned to health centers and hospitals to achieve further mortality reductions for newborns. It might be tempting to think Dr. Bang’s community approaches were no longer relevant, but I discovered during my visit that this is far from the truth.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The British finally left India in 1947, leaving behind a colonial health system that had all but extirpated India’s indigenous populations’ methods of health and healing. India has recently made great strides in the provision of health services in rural areas. But the study of medicine and public health in India remains rooted in principles and standards of the Global North, creating practitioners and systems that are ill-prepared to address the health of indigenous populations, which comprise nearly 9% of India’s population and have some of the poorest health outcomes in the country.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When I went to Gadchiroli, I was excited to meet the grandfather of newborn health. But as our conversation progressed, I realized what made Gadchiroli and Dr. Bang special wasn’t necessarily what he did for newborns. It was his general approach to health and health care in vulnerable, indigenous communities—mothers and babies included. Dr. Bang showed us what potential can be unlocked with deep understanding and respect for the ethnography, psychology and history of vulnerable populations. He has since successfully applied his inclusive methods to other areas of health, including orthopedics, reproductive health and non-communicable diseases.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>During my visit, it became clear that the magic of Gadchiroli has been the call to “go to the villages”—in whatever form that may take. It is a call that has saved countless newborn lives and helped many of India’s most vulnerable live with better health and dignity.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Dr. Bina Valsangkar is Jhpiego’s Principal Technical Advisor Maternal Newborn Health.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Dr. Abhay Bang transformed newborn survival in rural India by bringing culturally respectful, home-based care to marginalized communities. His approach continues to save lives and shape community-centered health solutions today.\u003C/p>\n","a-leader-in-lifesaving-newborn-care","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/a-leader-in-lifesaving-newborn-care/","/our-stories/p/a-leader-in-lifesaving-newborn-care/","2024-06-10T00:53:00","2025-08-08T20:20:51",{"id":1915,"src":1916,"width":18,"height":279,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1917,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1918,"srcset":1919,"sizes":26,"meta":1920,"acf":1961},3475,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024.jpg","Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1366\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-06-10-2024-1920x1281.jpg 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2023 Karen Kasmauski",[],{"primaryColor":1962,"blurhash":1963},"#645b60","U8B{}+9w~80M${D*t8WB4.%fo%xt4oM^M_xv",{"id":1965,"guid":1966,"title":1967,"content":1968,"excerpt":1969,"excerptRaw":1969,"slug":1970,"url":1971,"uri":1972,"to":1972,"status":325,"date":1973,"modified":1974,"type":328,"authorId":459,"featuredMedia":1975},1385,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=1385","Navigating care for safe childbirth","\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Care Navigators in Madhya Pradesh ensure women with high risk pregnancies get timely and appropriate care\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When the farming community in Madya Pradesh, India produces acres of lush green crops ready for harvest, Nek Narayan Patel takes extra care to check on his pregnant clients who work the fields. As a patient care navigator who lives in the community, Patel knows that some expectant mothers may put their family’s welfare over their own health.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>He recalls the story of one client who was pregnant with her seventh child and severely anemic. “But she did not want to lose her daily wage working in the pea field to visit the hospital,” he said, sharing how he called for an ambulance to convince the mother to visit the health facility for a blood transfusion.  “There is a lot of poverty in this area and during harvest season, all the villagers prioritize their fields over everything else.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1387\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438090644_fa1882f1de_k.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Women work on a pea farm during harvest season in Patan block of Madhya Pradesh. Photos by Jhpiego/Karen Kasmauski.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Patel, 41, has been a care-navigator since February 2022, a role designed to help monitor pregnant women at risk and get them the health care they need for a safe, healthy birth. He is one of 32 young, tech savvy men on motorbikes recruited through an innovative maternal health project, called \u003Ca href=\"https://networksofcare.org/\">Integrated Women in Health Network\u003C/a> (iWIN), to assist auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) in ensuring women receive the right care, at the right time to prevent complications at birth.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This project is funded by \u003Ca href=\"https://www.takeda.com/about/corporate-responsibility/corporate-giving/\">Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ Global CSR Program\u003C/a>, and led by Jhpiego, a global health non-profit and Johns Hopkins University affiliate, in partnership with the government of Madhya Pradesh. iWIN offers client-centered, continuous, and coordinated care by leveraging frontier technological solutions as well as programmatic innovations across public and private sector facilities. The overall goal is to reach  43% of the state’s population and impact care for  an estimated 900,000 annual pregnancies.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1388\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436836707_82955fead4_k.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Care Navigator Nek Narayan Patel and Auxiliary nurse midwife Savita Dahiya at Anganwadi Kantora prepare for prenatal care during Village Health and Nutrition Day.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Care navigators are a strategic addition to the network of health services: they have a basic knowledge of government healthcare services, data entry, and the use of smartphones. Their familiarity with  community members, a desire to do good for their people, and their ability to be mobile make them a key asset to the community health system. In addition to navigating high-risk pregnant women, they also help ensure the availability of equipment and resources, the functioning of the ANM online application, called ANMOL, data quality, and adherence to best practices.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1389\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53438188795_926a2397ff_k.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Community health officer Kamlesh Kumar Dubey works with Auxiliary nurse midwife, Lakshmi Sharma, 40; Care Navigator, Neknarayan Patel checks supply of drugs while Som Bai Thakore, an 18-year-old pregnant client, waits to be examined.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The care navigators also support ANMs in using the Bluetooth enabled point of care diagnostic kit, ‘ANMOL SAKHI, for antenatal checkups during Village Health and Nutrition Days (VHNDs).\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Since the kit launched last summer, ANM Lakshmi Sharma has experienced its benefits firsthand. “We are now able to accurately measure fetal heart rate using the fetal heart monitor, check how a pregnant woman is gaining weight through the weighing machine, check blood pressure through the blood pressure instrument and also accurately get the hemoglobin using the hemoglobinometer right here in the village,” she said.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“These readings get added to the ANMOL application through Bluetooth which makes it even more convenient. And the care navigators are just a call away if we face any issue with the instruments or the ANMOL app. Plus, if we find ourselves running out of some drugs or consumables, the care navigator helps us procure those immediately. This helps us focus on our work and provide quality services to expectant mothers. Because of this, we are being able to detect more high-risk pregnancies and that too, in early trimesters.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So far, Patel and the other iWIN care navigators have successfully guided over 20,000 high-risk pregnant women in Madhya Pradesh, ensuring the management of 91% of pregnancy-induced hypertension cases, 65% of gestational diabetes cases, and 79% of anemia cases. Through the care navigators’ supportive supervision of ANMs during the health days, the availability and functionality of equipment have increased from 69% to 86%, availability and sufficiency of resources have risen from 71% to 87%, and key practices have improved from 70% to 80%.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The success of the care navigation model has prompted other projects in women’s cancer to adopt this approach to ensure the continuum of care from screening to confirmatory diagnosis to treatment and follow up as per the diagnosis. In Madhya Pradesh, this role has influenced the scope of work of existing block-level community mentors who now also provide supportive supervision to ANMs and help navigate high-risk pregnant women.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1390\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53437764996_cb838179bf_k.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">ANM Lakshmi Sharma uses the Anmol Sakhi bundle including the Bluetooth-enabled BP machine, fetal heart monitor and hemoglobinometer to enter accurate data into the online application on her tablet.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nek Narayan Patel knows his work is of utmost significance: “Very often in this community, pregnant women neglect their health because of lack of awareness. Anemia is a big issue. And of course, poverty.” Pointing to the women lined up at the Baroda Hada village day care center for the monthly health/wellness days, he says, “If these women were asked to go all the way to the community health center in Patan for their antenatal checkups, more than half of them would not go. I help ensure that VHNDs are as effective as possible as this is the closest and most convenient for women to visit. I help identify and manage high-risk pregnancies on time. I alert ANMs on birth preparedness and complication readiness. Like right now, one of the pregnant women who has come for ANC has low weight. So, she is at high risk. Her mid-upper arm circumference will confirm that she might be malnourished.” As he dashes off to speak to this woman and the ANM, he says, “We will ensure she learns about nutrition. We will alert the accredited social health activist (ASHA) to keep a special check on her and ensure she is eating nutritious food. We will be specially vigilant about her weight gain.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Ambadas Suresh Adhav is a physician, and program manager in technology and operations, working in Jhpiego India’s maternal health programming. Indrani Kashyap is Associate Director, Regional Communications, based in Jhpiego’s India office.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Raji Cherian, Senior Program Officer for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health based in Jhpiego’s Madhya Pradesh office contributed to this story.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Care Navigators in Madhya Pradesh ensure women with high risk pregnancies get timely and appropriate care\u003C/p>\n","navigating-care-for-safe-childbirth","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/navigating-care-for-safe-childbirth/","/our-stories/p/navigating-care-for-safe-childbirth/","2024-05-11T18:17:00","2025-08-08T20:19:48",{"id":1976,"src":1977,"width":18,"height":962,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":1978,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":1979,"srcset":1980,"sizes":26,"meta":1981,"acf":2020},1386,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k.jpg","53436838197_986f2604c7_k","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k-960x640.jpg 960w, 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1920w",{"width":18,"height":962,"file":1982,"filesize":1983,"sizes":1984,"imageMeta":2018},"2025/03/53436838197_986f2604c7_k.jpg",678616,{"medium":1985,"large":1988,"thumbnail":1991,"mediumLarge":1994,"1536x1536":1997,"postThumbnail":2000,"socialPreview":2003,"smallPreview":2006,"mediumPreview":2009,"largePreview":2012,"fullscreenSmall":2015},{"file":1986,"width":33,"height":34,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1987},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-300x200.jpg",17297,{"file":1989,"width":38,"height":265,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1990},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1024x683.jpg",126032,{"file":1992,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1993},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-150x150.jpg",8810,{"file":1995,"width":47,"height":272,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1996},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-768x512.jpg",78518,{"file":1998,"width":52,"height":38,"mimeType":23,"filesize":1999},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1536x1024.jpg",251717,{"file":2001,"width":283,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2002},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-810x540.jpg",86227,{"file":2004,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2005},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1200x630.jpg",138537,{"file":2007,"width":67,"height":68,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2008},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-375x250.jpg",24963,{"file":2010,"width":72,"height":293,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2011},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-960x640.jpg",113271,{"file":2013,"width":77,"height":1285,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2014},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1280x853.jpg",183768,{"file":2016,"width":82,"height":77,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2017},"53436838197_986f2604c7_k-1920x1280.jpg",374900,{"aperture":86,"credit":87,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":1419,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":2019},[],{"primaryColor":2021,"blurhash":2022},"#2f1e1a","U99Pl}J%0y}tFtn+$jX5JQxasCELwzf+Sdn*",{"id":2024,"guid":2025,"title":2026,"content":2027,"excerpt":2028,"excerptRaw":2028,"slug":2029,"url":2030,"uri":2031,"to":2031,"status":325,"date":2032,"modified":2033,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":2034},3482,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3482","Group ANC—It’s Better Together  ","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3483\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024.jpg 2047w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Let’s ensure every mother has access to the care during pregnancy that she wants and deserves, through Group ANC.\u003C/h4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There are 100 million births a year in low- and middle-income countries. That means that every day, there are millions of pregnant women who need care to have a healthy pregnancy. When asked about what kind of care they want during pregnancy, women are clear. They want to survive childbirth and have a healthy baby who also survives. For women in many of the places we work, survival is not a guarantee. They also want personalized, supportive and respectful care from kind and caring health care providers, and opportunities to bond with other pregnant women for support.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>One of the simplest but most remarkable ways we’ve found to fulfill pregnant women’s needs is providing care in groups—we call it \u003Ca href=\"https://www.ganccollaborative.com/mission-2\">Group Antenatal Care (G-ANC).\u003C/a> It’s women-centered care, provided in a group with pregnant women at the same stage of pregnancy. What’s even more remarkable is that many women and providers, from conflict-affected Afghanistan to populous villages across Nigeria and the highlands of Guatemala, all love G-ANC. They love learning together, forming friendships, taking better care of themselves, and helping each other have a healthy pregnancy. The results are women come back for more care, they learn more, and have a positive pregnancy experience. Providers also enjoy G-ANC. They get to know their patients and have the time to discuss important topics and answer questions.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Since 2021, we have been working with local governments in Nigeria and Kenya to expand G-ANC into hundreds of health facilities. But the pace is not fast enough. We need exponential expansion. So we started asking, “\u003Cem>If G-ANC is better care, why isn’t it available to all pregnant women? How can we accelerate scale-up?\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In February 2024, we were thrilled to organize the first-ever Global Group ANC “Catalyzer” event in Nairobi, Kenya to try and answer these questions. We gathered with 125 researchers, government officials, public health professionals, and women’s health champions from 24 countries and spent three days together to prioritize ways to collaborate and accelerate change.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There was ample evidence and great enthusiasm for G-ANC, but it was surprising how many countries have not been able to make G-ANC widely available. Expansion has been limited by the lack of national policies, political commitment, and funding. At the Catalyzer, small groups worked to plan how best to accelerate scale-up, based on their experiences. Here are the priority actions that are needed: \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Updating global policy\u003C/strong> so the World Health Organization includes G-ANC as a recommendation and governments adopt it into national policies;  \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Prioritizing research\u003C/strong> to fill evidence gaps to learn more about how G-ANC meets adolescents’ needs or works in the private sector;\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Increasing awareness\u003C/strong> and generating interest in G-ANC by disseminating the evidence and implementation resources on G-ANC in all low- and middle-income countries at the national and sub-national levels;  \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Advocating\u003C/strong> for governments and donors to secure the political commitment and resources for G-ANC implementation at scale;   \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Strengthening coordination and collaboration\u003C/strong> at the global and national levels to jointly plan for scale-up and share learning;\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Extending group care beyond birth for mothers and babies\u003C/strong>, which holds great potential to improve maternal, newborn and child health in the first two years of life, but requires more research and learning in low- and middle-income countries.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This month as the United States celebrates Mother’s Day, we continue to work with global partners, local champions and stakeholders to make G-ANC available to all pregnant women.  Let’s work together so every mother can have the pregnancy experience she wants and deserves, through G-ANC. \u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Group Antenatal Care is transforming pregnancy by providing women-centered, supportive care in a group setting, improving health outcomes, building connections, and creating positive experiences for mothers and providers alike.\u003C/p>\n","group-anc-its-better-together","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/group-anc-its-better-together/","/our-stories/p/group-anc-its-better-together/","2024-05-11T01:03:00","2025-08-08T20:20:57",{"id":2035,"src":2036,"width":2037,"height":962,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":2038,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2039,"srcset":2040,"sizes":2041,"meta":2042,"acf":2081},3483,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024.jpg",2047,"Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024","\u003Cimg width=\"2047\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024.jpg 2047w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-1280x854.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2047px) 100vw, 2047px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-GANC-05-11-2024.jpg 2047w, 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Is the Mother of Invention in Kilifi County, Kenya","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3496\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Every year, 14 million women experience postpartum hemorrhage, with one dying every six minutes, says the World Health Organization. For three years, Jhpiego staff participated in an international study that evaluated a new approach, called E-MOTIVE, to identify when a woman is losing too much blood following delivery and take action.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The approach uses a bundle of interventions to stop the bleeding, including a plastic drape that collects blood into a volume-marked pouch, so health workers can see how much blood a client has lost. However, these drapes aren’t easily available.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That didn’t stop a group of nurses and midwives at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital – \u003Ca href=\"https://bhekisisa.org/article/2024-02-08-a-plastic-sheet-can-save-70-000-lives-a-year-heres-how/\">they invented their own version of the drape\u003C/a>, says Isabella Ochieng, a nurse midwife and maternal and newborn technical advisor for Jhpiego who has supported the health providers there.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Learn how these entrepreneurial health providers fashioned a solution to a real problem and help save lives: \u003Ca href=\"https://bhekisisa.org/article/2024-02-08-a-plastic-sheet-can-save-70-000-lives-a-year-heres-how/\">https://bhekisisa.org/article/2024-02-08-pc-e-c-v-70-000-v—-/\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>In Kenya’s Kilifi County, innovative nurses and midwives created their own blood-collection drape to quickly detect dangerous bleeding after childbirth, proving that lifesaving solutions can start with local ingenuity.\u003C/p>\n","necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention-in-kilifi-county-kenya","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention-in-kilifi-county-kenya/","/our-stories/p/necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention-in-kilifi-county-kenya/","2024-03-04T01:27:00","2025-08-08T20:21:04",{"id":2096,"src":2097,"width":18,"height":962,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":2098,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2099,"srcset":2100,"sizes":26,"meta":2101,"acf":2141},3496,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024.jpg","Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1920x1280.jpg 1920w",{"width":18,"height":962,"file":2102,"filesize":2103,"sizes":2104,"imageMeta":2138},"2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024.jpg",751974,{"medium":2105,"large":2108,"thumbnail":2111,"mediumLarge":2114,"1536x1536":2117,"postThumbnail":2120,"socialPreview":2123,"smallPreview":2126,"mediumPreview":2129,"largePreview":2132,"fullscreenSmall":2135},{"file":2106,"width":33,"height":34,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2107},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-300x200.jpg",15083,{"file":2109,"width":38,"height":265,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2110},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1024x683.jpg",104826,{"file":2112,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2113},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-150x150.jpg",7634,{"file":2115,"width":47,"height":272,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2116},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-768x512.jpg",64500,{"file":2118,"width":52,"height":38,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2119},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1536x1024.jpg",223308,{"file":2121,"width":283,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2122},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-810x540.jpg",70957,{"file":2124,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2125},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1200x630.jpg",116476,{"file":2127,"width":67,"height":68,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2128},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-375x250.jpg",21238,{"file":2130,"width":72,"height":293,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2131},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-960x640.jpg",94051,{"file":2133,"width":77,"height":1285,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2134},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1280x853.jpg",156649,{"file":2136,"width":82,"height":77,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2137},"Jhpiego-Blog-MNH-03-04-2024-1920x1280.jpg",358333,{"aperture":86,"credit":87,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":2139,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":2140},"© 2018 Karen Kasmauski",[],{"primaryColor":2142,"blurhash":2143},"#383732","UAA0wEI;9Gs;~nM|E1tR-mM{Rkoyt7a#s;ad",{"id":2145,"guid":2146,"title":2147,"content":2148,"excerpt":2149,"excerptRaw":2149,"slug":2150,"url":2151,"uri":2152,"to":2152,"status":325,"date":2153,"modified":2154,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":2155},3964,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3964","A Safe and Healthy Pregnancy Is a Group Effort","\n\u003Cp>Linda and Daniel Mulemi’s journey to first-time parenthood began about one year ago, when they were busy working on their event-planning family business.\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3965\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-1.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-1-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>“It all started with a headache that would not go away. My mother-in-law urged me to go to the hospital. I went and did a couple of tests. The pregnancy test was positive. We were so happy because we wanted to start a family,” said 28-year-old Linda.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When she was six weeks pregnant, Linda was introduced to the group antenatal care (G-ANC) sessions at Kangundo Hospital in Kenya. G-ANC brings together a group of women to learn, share and experience pregnancy together. Meeting monthly with the same group fosters friendships and support and improves the experience for women. “This was my first pregnancy and I knew nothing. I went ahead and attended the group sessions,” she said.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7939754/\">Linda attended all G-ANC sessions and her husband noticed a difference\u003C/a>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7939754/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">.\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“She would be singing while doing her chores . . . it was a way of memorizing what they were learning,” he said. “Linda shared her notes with me after every class. We were moving step by step together. I saw the benefits of the classes and supported her to attend without fail.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I wanted to get as much information to prepare me for the pregnancy and delivery,“ Linda explained. “My favorite topics were how to observe problems, danger signs and taking care of myself. One time, I noticed some discharge from my breasts. My friend told me it’s a miscarriage. During my next class, I wrote my question and dropped it in the wonder basket. It was not a sign of a miscarriage.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3966\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-2.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>The “I Wonder Basket” at a G-ANC session in Kangundo Hospital, Machakos County, Kenya. Photo by Lameck Ododo\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>The “I Wonder Basket” is a box where G-ANC participants can anonymously drop their written queries. The facilitating nurse-midwife privately helps women with low literacy skills to add their questions, and she engages the group to help answer the questions at the end of the meeting.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7939754/#:~:text=WHAT%20IS%20GROUP%20ANTENATAL%20CARE,centre%20at%20the%20same%20time.\">G-ANC is associated with a higher proportion of women receiving quality services, including more antenatal care checkups\u003C/a>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7939754/#:~:text=WHAT%20IS%20GROUP%20ANTENATAL%20CARE,centre%20at%20the%20same%20time.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">.\u003C/a> Women also report a positive experience in G-ANC, sharing that they were able to ask questions and learned important things about preparing themselves for childbirth and post-birth and keeping their baby healthy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>They also reported forming meaningful relationships and a spirit of open communication with their health care providers.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Pauline Muema, a nurse at Kangundo Hospital, remembers Linda’s engagement with the other women in the group.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Linda asked questions, oriented [other pregnant women as they] joined the group, and she became the group leader,” said nurse Pauline. “She delivered a healthy baby girl in our health facility. Baby Bella is four months old. We walked together during her pregnancy and now we are monitoring Bella as she grows. “\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Kangundo Hospital was one of the first facilities in Kenya to introduce G-ANC, during a Jhpiego research study on G-ANC in 2016, and staff have remained enthusiastic about the approach. In 2021, the Machakos County Health Management Team selected Kangundo as one of 12 facilities to adopt G-ANC as the routine standard of care so that all pregnant women may benefit. County managers partnered with Jhpiego to scale up G-ANC and learn together about what is needed to make and sustain this change, so other facilities and counties throughout Kenya can more easily switch to G-ANC. Implementation and learning are supported by Jhpiego with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Machakos County managers are sharing their experience with G-ANC with other counties, and the county has already helped train providers in Makueni and Vihiga Counties.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3968\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-3-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Nurse Pauline Muema with pregnant women during a G-ANC session at Kangundo Hospital in Machakos County, Kenya. Photo by Lameck Ododo\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>The transition to offering all women G-ANC is only possible when ANC providers like Pauline Muema buy in. She has been a champion since Kangundo started offering G-ANC. Through member-guided group discussions, traditional aspects of antenatal assessment such as clinical checks are blended with information sharing and peer support.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“With one-on-one ANC sessions, there are no targeted messages. But with group ANC we have a flow [of information],” said nurse Pauline. “Sometimes a mother may walk into the clinic and she is 28 weeks [pregnant]—where would you start? With the group ANC we are able to have time and link the moms to each other for support.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To date, Pauline has formed and facilitated 80 groups, hosting 500 meetings and reaching more than 1,400 moms at Kangundo Hospital. In total, from March 2022 to August 2023, 11,000 pregnant women in Machakos County have received their antenatal care through G-ANC in 12 health facilities.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-4-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3969\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-4-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-4-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-4-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-4-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-image-4.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Linda, Daniel and Bella surrounded by the health care providers who supported them during pregnancy, delivery and the postnatal period. Photo by Lameck Ododo\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>“It has been an amazing journey—from pregnancy, delivery and now parenting. We are so blessed to have a great support system at the health facility; we are walking together as we parent and nurture this beautiful girl,” said Daniel.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In addition to Jhpiego’s work in Kenya, the organization currently supports health managers and ANC providers to implement and scale up G-ANC in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Anne Hyre, project director of the Antenatal/Postnatal Research Collective, and Stephanie Suhowatsky, Principal Technical Advisor, reviewed this article. \u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Joan Nduta is Senior Communications Manager for Jhpiego’s Africa Region. Photos by Lameck Ododo\u003C/em>. \u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>When she was six weeks pregnant, Linda was introduced to the group antenatal care (G-ANC) sessions at Kangundo Hospital in Kenya. She joined a group of women to learn, share and experience pregnancy together, transforming her prenatal experience. \u003C/p>\n","a-safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-is-a-group-effort","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/a-safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-is-a-group-effort/","/our-stories/p/a-safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-is-a-group-effort/","2023-11-27T21:21:00","2025-08-17T15:10:59",{"id":2156,"src":2157,"width":18,"height":962,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":2158,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2159,"srcset":2160,"sizes":26,"meta":2161,"acf":2201},3970,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image.jpg","Story-Safe and healthy pregnancy-feature image","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Safe-and-healthy-pregnancy-feature-image-960x640.jpg 960w, 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Ododo",[],{"primaryColor":2202,"blurhash":2203},"#484b4a","UTGuzT4pkl-:_4RPt8xu.7D%t8%N.8IUV@xu",{"id":2205,"guid":2206,"title":2207,"content":2208,"excerpt":2209,"excerptRaw":20,"slug":2210,"url":2211,"uri":2212,"to":2212,"status":325,"date":2213,"modified":2214,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":2215},3953,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3953","After Sadness, a Healthy Pregnancy and a Good Start for Baby Claudia","\n\u003Cp>Purity Kyalo’s first pregnancy did not go well.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>She went to her first antenatal clinic at five months. The urban health facility in Nairobi, Kenya, had long queues and few health workers. Purity showed up three days in a row before the doctor could check her and her baby.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3956\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-1-2.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-1-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-1-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-1-2-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Purity and her daughter Claudia.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>“When it was my turn to see the doctor, he didn’t check my tummy,” says Purity. The doctor asked one question—what brings you to the clinic today? \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp> “I told him it was my first pregnancy and that I was worried the baby wasn’t kicking. He told me to stop working hard and to relax. He scribbled on my clinic card and asked me to return after two months.”  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Two months later, Purity started bleeding. “Something was wrong because I was only seven months. I called my husband, and we were rushed to the nearest health post, a private clinic. They refused to attend to me because they didn’t want any liability. They referred us to a public facility 10 km away. When we got there, it was too late to save my baby,” says Purity. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“It was the worst experience of our lives. We were waiting to hold a baby—instead we were wiping tears and asking lots of questions,” says Purity’s husband, Stephen Kyalo.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Stephen’s mother stepped in to help. “Mum asked us to come home so that she could take care of us and recover from the tragedy. She committed to walk with us,” explains Stephen.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Not long after, Purity was pregnant again. Stephen’s mother encouraged Purity to attend the antenatal clinic at Wamunyu health center as soon as possible.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“I was six weeks pregnant when I went for the first checkup. This was the best decision we ever made. I met Nurse Mercyline who asked me to attend group antenatal care classes the following week. I didn’t know what classes meant but I arrived early the following week, eager to learn and get as much information as possible.” — Purity Kyalo\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Purity joined other expectant mothers who were at the same stage of pregnancy in a group to receive antenatal care. She attended all seven group meetings at the Wamunyu health center, one of the facilities in Machakos County, Kenya, that provides group antenatal care (G-ANC).  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Wamunyu health center is one of 12 health facilities supported by Jhpiego with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Staff in these facilities were inspired by the work of the Ekalakala Health Center, which found G-ANC to be a better way to provide care to pregnant women and re-organized its antenatal care services so G-ANC is available to all clients. Since early 2022, health care providers in all the facilities including Wamunyu have been trained and mentored to adopt G-ANC as the routine standard of care so they are better able to support mothers, like Purity, during pregnancy.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3957\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-2.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-2-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Purity sits with her daughter Claudia and her mother-in-law\u003C/em>.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego originally helped Machakos County introduce G-ANC in 2016-2017 as part of a study. Given the positive experience and the evidence generated from the study, the county health team expanded it into more facilities. In 2021, the Machakos community health management team partnered with Jhpiego to scale up G-ANC at public health facilities so all pregnant women were provided G-ANC. Jhpiego is introducing G-ANC in Amhara Region, Ethiopia, and also supporting scale up of G-ANC in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Rhoda Njeru, a technical officer with Jhpiego in Kenya, highlights the benefits of G-ANC for both women and health providers. “Group antenatal care is a simple intervention that helps women to learn and share experience through the journey of pregnancy with the guidance of a trained provider,” she says. “G-ANC has helped break the hierarchy of providers and women. They bond so easily and can reach out for assistance even when at home via a phone call, WhatsApp or a text message. Staff attitude has changed and they are friendly.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3959\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-3-1.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-3-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-3-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-3-1-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Purity and her husband, Stephen Kyalo, pose with baby Claudia.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Group antenatal care is a high-impact intervention cutting across the continuum of care—from preconception, antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum period—giving assurance of a healthy baby and healthy mum.”  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Studies have shown that G-ANC provides women with a positive experience of care. They learn more about maternal and newborn health, including how to prepare for childbirth. They form meaningful relationships and have better communication with their health care providers. As a result, they receive better quality care and return for more antental care visits over the course of their pregnancies. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nurse Mercyline, who trained in G-ANC through Jhpiego and led Purity’s group, says, “We have open conversations because we are seated together. Initially the mothers didn’t express themselves, but now we know each other well and by name.”  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For Purity, the G-ANC sessions offered key insights: “I learnt to look out for danger signs, birth preparation and to save money for the baby’s delivery.”  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“At nine months, I went for my last clinic checkup. The nurse told me the baby was coming, so I called my husband and mother-in-law. I had prepared the baby bag as a lesson from one of the group sessions. They brought the baby bag to the hospital, and I was ready to receive my baby. Baby Claudia was born soon after”. — Purity Kyalo\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3960\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-4.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-image-4-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Nurse Mercyline weighs baby Claudia during a clinic session. \u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Wamunyu health center has created 19 G-ANC groups, each with 15 pregnant women. Across 12 facilities, 7,800 pregnant women have received antenatal care through G-ANC.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Countrywide, the Ministry of Health has included the G-ANC model in the national continuum-of-care training package. Three other counties in Kenya have heard from Machakos County leadership about the benefits of G-ANC and have trained their health care providers on G-ANC. Thousands of pregnant women across Kenya now have the opportunity to experience G-ANC, learn about pregnancy and danger signs, be engaged in their own health, bond with their care providers and receive better care.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Anne Hyre, project director of the Antenatal/Postnatal Research Collective, and Stephanie Suhowatsky, Principal Technical Advisor, reviewed this article. \u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Joan Nduta is Senior Communications Manager for Jhpiego’s Africa Region. Photos by Lameck Ododo\u003C/em>. \u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Purity Kyalo’s first pregnancy did not go well.   She went to her first antenatal clinic at five months. The urban…\u003C/p>\n","after-sadness-a-healthy-pregnancy-and-a-good-start-for-baby-claudia","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/after-sadness-a-healthy-pregnancy-and-a-good-start-for-baby-claudia/","/our-stories/p/after-sadness-a-healthy-pregnancy-and-a-good-start-for-baby-claudia/","2023-10-24T21:14:00","2025-08-13T21:20:45",{"id":2216,"src":2217,"width":2218,"height":2219,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":2220,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2221,"srcset":2222,"sizes":2223,"meta":2224,"acf":2242},3961,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image.jpg",799,533,"Story-After sadness-feature image","\u003Cimg width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image-375x250.jpg 375w","(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px",{"width":2218,"height":2219,"file":2225,"filesize":2226,"sizes":2227,"imageMeta":2240},"2025/08/Story-After-sadness-feature-image.jpg",383482,{"medium":2228,"thumbnail":2231,"mediumLarge":2234,"smallPreview":2237},{"file":2229,"width":33,"height":34,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2230},"Story-After-sadness-feature-image-300x200.jpg",36100,{"file":2232,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2233},"Story-After-sadness-feature-image-150x150.jpg",24076,{"file":2235,"width":47,"height":272,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2236},"Story-After-sadness-feature-image-768x512.jpg",130262,{"file":2238,"width":67,"height":68,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2239},"Story-After-sadness-feature-image-375x250.jpg",46843,{"aperture":86,"credit":2199,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":309,"keywords":2241},[],{"primaryColor":2243,"blurhash":2244},"#9c7869","UYI#7TxbVXozpyj]I;W;%$R*Mxi_?HR*V@xa",{"id":2246,"guid":2247,"title":2248,"content":2249,"excerpt":2250,"excerptRaw":2250,"slug":2251,"url":2252,"uri":2253,"to":2253,"status":325,"date":2254,"modified":2255,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":2256},3639,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3639","A New Approach to Reduce Neonatal Deaths  ","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"652\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3643\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-300x191.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-768x489.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-848x540.jpg 848w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-375x239.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-960x611.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A midwife helps a mother to hold her low birthweight baby using kangaroo care in a neonatal intensive care unit. Photo by Ester L. Hutabarat, MOMENTUM Private Healthcare Delivery.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Laili Harkita’s pregnancy was a tough one. When she finally gave birth at 36 weeks, her baby weighed just 1,900 grams, or four pounds. Jhpiego-trained midwives at Alia Hospital, a private maternity facility in South Jakarta, Indonesia, cared for the newborn, following strict infection prevention protocols. The midwives taught Laili to hold the infant skin-to-skin, similarly to how kangaroos hold their babies. Health workers from Indonesia to \u003Ca href=\"https://usaidmomentum.org/expanding-kangaroo-mother-care-to-save-fragile-newborns-in-cote-divoire/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Côte d’Ivoire\u003C/a> are teaching mothers and families to use this simple yet time-tested kangaroo care method to meet babies’ needs for warmth, breastfeeding, infection prevention, stimulation, safety and love. It also helps small and sick newborns gain weight and thrive.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Laili’s baby is no exception. One in every four babies globally is born too soon or too small, and every year, 2.4 million newborns die before they are a month old. Eighty percent of these deaths are babies weighing less than 2,500 grams at birth—referred to as low birthweight babies. Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia account for most of these neonatal deaths. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Though the world has made progress in reducing neonatal mortality, we still have a long way to go. If we want to reach global \u003Ca href=\"https://sdgs.un.org/goals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sustainable Development Goal\u003C/a> targets, we have to focus on small and sick newborn care, and continue pushing for quality essential newborn care, especially in fragile settings,” says pediatrician Dr. Bina Valsangkar, Jhpiego’s Principle Technical Advisor, Maternal Newborn Health, and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Two-thirds of small and sick newborns require special inpatient care, but not intensive care, to survive and thrive. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241590351\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kangaroo mother care\u003C/a> is an excellent foundation to build upon because it provides warmth, feeding and infection prevention, all in a nurturing environment,” she says.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Valsangkar asks a critical question in efforts to reduce the unacceptable loss of small and sick newborns: How can we prevent babies from being born too soon or too small? For that, we need to focus on the mother and her pregnancy journey. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/A-newborn-baby-is-examined-by-a-midwife-at-the-Ashiaman-Polyclinic-Accra-Ghana.-Photo-by-Kate-Holt-Jhpiego.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3644\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/A-newborn-baby-is-examined-by-a-midwife-at-the-Ashiaman-Polyclinic-Accra-Ghana.-Photo-by-Kate-Holt-Jhpiego.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/A-newborn-baby-is-examined-by-a-midwife-at-the-Ashiaman-Polyclinic-Accra-Ghana.-Photo-by-Kate-Holt-Jhpiego-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/A-newborn-baby-is-examined-by-a-midwife-at-the-Ashiaman-Polyclinic-Accra-Ghana.-Photo-by-Kate-Holt-Jhpiego-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/A-newborn-baby-is-examined-by-a-midwife-at-the-Ashiaman-Polyclinic-Accra-Ghana.-Photo-by-Kate-Holt-Jhpiego-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A newborn baby is examined by a midwife at the Ashiaman Polyclinic, Accra, Ghana. Photo by Kate Holt, Jhpiego\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A new series in \u003Cem>The Lancet \u003C/em>draws global attention to the antenatal period and introduces a new conceptual framework for \u003Ca href=\"https://www.thelancet.com/series/small-vulnerable-newborns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">small vulnerable newborns\u003C/a>, which include babies born preterm, small for gestational age and low birthweight. \u003Ca href=\"https://www.alignmnh.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AlignMNH\u003C/a>, the convening body of the \u003Ca href=\"https://imnhc2023.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">International Maternal Newborn Health Conference\u003C/a>, recently released a Masterclass video where experts explain the issues and proven solutions discussed in this important series. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Notably, \u003Cem>The Lancet \u003C/em>series points to \u003Cstrong>eight evidence-based antenatal interventions\u003C/strong> that must be scaled up to prevent small vulnerable newborn births: multiple micronutrient supplements, balanced protein and energy supplements, low-dose aspirin for women at risk of pre-eclampsia, treatment of syphilis, education for smoking cessation, prevention of malaria in pregnancy, treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria and progesterone provided vaginally for women at risk of preterm birth. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>From Guatemala to Zambia and Afghanistan to Indonesia, Jhpiego has been working for decades on many of the interventions highlighted in \u003Cem>The Lancet \u003C/em>series. Through its stewardship of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) largest maternal and newborn health programs, including the current \u003Ca href=\"https://usaidmomentum.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MOMENTUM\u003C/a> Country and Global Leadership project, and other initiatives, Jhpiego has shared these interventions and other low-cost solutions to improve newborn health outcomes. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Ensuring a healthy pregnancy\u003C/strong> \u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In India, in partnership with the government of Rajasthan and with support from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/feature-story/born-healthy-in-badrika/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Born Healthy program\u003C/a> is improving the coverage and quality of antenatal care as a pathway to reducing the prevalence of low birthweight in newborns. The program focuses on identifying and managing maternal infections (asymptomatic bacteriuria, HIV, syphilis, tuberculosis and malaria) and improving iron and calcium supplementation during pregnancy. Health workers also use point-of-care diagnostics to identify maternal infections, even in community settings. The program’s success is now leading to its scale-up in other Indian states. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Caring for moms and babies in fragile settings\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Attending to the needs of moms and newborns is crucial in fragile health care systems and humanitarian contexts. In \u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/story/addressing-afghanistans-health-care-needs/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Afghanistan\u003C/a>, Jhpiego is leading a consortium of partners to strengthen maternal and newborn care through the Urban Health Initiative. This project works to enhance the skills of midwives, detect and treat malnutrition in Afghan children, and help Afghan women make informed decisions about family planning—to avoid both unintended pregnancies and babies from being born too soon and too small—among other critical interventions. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Preventing malaria in pregnancy\u003C/strong> \u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Across four countries in Africa—the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique and Nigeria—Jhpiego implemented a five-year project that introduced an innovative, community-based approach to dramatically increase the number of pregnant women across sub-Saharan Africa receiving antimalarial preventive therapy. Preventing malaria in pregnancy, especially for women living in malaria-endemic regions, helps to ensure that babies are carried to term and born at a healthy weight. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Ensuring a high-protein diet to prevent stunting and malnutrition\u003C/strong> \u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Guatemala, a country with one of the world’s highest rates of stunting and high maternal and newborn deaths, community health volunteers trained \u003Ca href=\"https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2023/spring/jhpiego-nutrition-program-guatemala/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">through the USAID-funded Health and Nutrition Project\u003C/a>, implemented by Jhpiego, are introducing new recipes that provide high-protein supplements for malnourished families and children.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>A call to action\u003C/strong> \u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>The Lancet \u003C/em>series on small vulnerable newborns issued a global call for action: first, make small vulnerable newborn prevention a priority; second, scale up the eight proven interventions; and third, improve measurement and accountability. Working in geographies that are disproportionately burdened with small vulnerable newborn births, Jhpiego stands deeply committed to this goal.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 calls for an end to preventable newborn deaths by 2030 and, more specifically, for all countries to aim to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births. To make that a reality, we must look at newborn survival as a human right and our interventions must focus not just on the newborn, but also the mother—what we need is a fresh approach focused on the mother-baby dyad.” – Dr. Bina Valsangkar\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Dr. Bina Valsangkar was Jhpiego’s Principle Technical Advisor for Maternal and Newborn Health and provided technical review of this article.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Indrani Kashyap is Jhpiego’s Associate Director, Regional Communications; she is based in India.\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>A focus on small and vulnerable newborns and the pregnancy journey.\u003C/p>\n","a-new-approach-to-reduce-neonatal-deaths","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/a-new-approach-to-reduce-neonatal-deaths/","/our-stories/p/a-new-approach-to-reduce-neonatal-deaths/","2023-09-19T14:21:11","2025-08-21T13:33:44",{"id":2257,"src":2258,"width":38,"height":2259,"alt":20,"caption":2260,"title":2261,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2262,"srcset":2263,"sizes":2264,"meta":2265,"acf":2297},3643,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby.jpg",652,"A midwife helps a mother to hold her low birthweight baby using kangaroo care in a neonatal intensive care unit. Photo by Ester L. Hutabarat, MOMENTUM Private Healthcare Delivery.","midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby","\u003Cimg width=\"1024\" height=\"652\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-300x191.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-768x489.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-848x540.jpg 848w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-375x239.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-960x611.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-300x191.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-768x489.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-848x540.jpg 848w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-375x239.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-960x611.jpg 960w","(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px",{"width":38,"height":2259,"file":2266,"filesize":2267,"sizes":2268,"imageMeta":2295},"2023/09/midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby.jpg",123113,{"medium":2269,"thumbnail":2273,"mediumLarge":2276,"postThumbnail":2280,"socialPreview":2284,"smallPreview":2287,"mediumPreview":2291},{"file":2270,"width":33,"height":2271,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2272},"midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-300x191.jpg",191,14527,{"file":2274,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2275},"midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-150x150.jpg",7189,{"file":2277,"width":47,"height":2278,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2279},"midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-768x489.jpg",489,65716,{"file":2281,"width":2282,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2283},"midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-848x540.jpg",848,76682,{"file":2285,"width":38,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2286},"midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-1024x630.jpg",109372,{"file":2288,"width":67,"height":2289,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2290},"midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-375x239.jpg",239,20781,{"file":2292,"width":72,"height":2293,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2294},"midwife-Indonesia_PrematureBaby-960x611.jpg",611,93152,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":2296},[],{"primaryColor":2298,"blurhash":2299},"#d8cab7","UpMs_;%L.7%M~qkEWCbI%gt7i{R*-;jsRkWB",{"id":2301,"guid":2302,"title":2303,"content":2304,"excerpt":2305,"excerptRaw":20,"slug":2306,"url":2307,"uri":2308,"to":2308,"status":325,"date":2309,"modified":2310,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":2311},3936,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3936","Noticing Needs of Undernourished Children","\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"755\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-1-1024x755.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3937\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-1-1024x755.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-1-300x221.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-1-768x566.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-1-733x540.jpg 733w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-1-375x276.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-1-960x708.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-1.jpg 1069w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Neema plays with her two older sisters.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>At 21 months, Neema is the picture of health, bright-eyed and toddling around her family’s home.  She plays hide and seek with her two older sisters and laughs with glee. It’s a relief to her mother, who just three months ago, sat with her very sick daughter in the local hospital, trying to comfort the frail and sleepless child.    \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>During a home visit in early January 2023, a community health worker recognized the signs of malnutrition in Neema. The toddler was listless, underweight and her skin was cracked and dry. She urged Neema’s mother, 23-year-old Regina Samson, to take the child to the nearest health facility.    \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“We did not know why she was always crying. I was worried because she could not sleep at daytime or at night. We tried everything. Even if you bathed her, she would not sleep.” — Regina\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3938\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-2-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-2-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Regina Samson and Neema at the local health facility.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>At the health facility, Neema was checked and found to have a severe form of malnutrition. Both mother and baby were admitted.      \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“First, they gave her a nutritious supplement to treat the severe malnutrition. Then later gave her milk and soft food. Her appetite and weight improved day after day,” says Regina. During Neema’s treatment, Regina attended nutrition education sessions that highlighted the importance of feeding young children with nutritious, well-balanced food.    \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Awareness of malnutrition is not common in Bunda and many caregivers like Regina don’t know how to recognize the signs. Through the support and engagement of community health workers, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Afya Yangu-Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) project aims to increase treatment of malnourished children. Community health workers can reach a far larger number of children in a much more cost-effective way than health facilities. They also offer basic treatment and support to families and refer the more serious cases to the local health facility.    \u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3940\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-3-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-3-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-3-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-3.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Neema’s mother, 23-year-old Regina Samson outside of the local health facility.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>In partnership with the Ministry of Health, Jhpiego leads the USAID Afya Yangu (“My Health”) project, which seeks to improve access to quality, client-centered health services at facility and community levels in 11 regions of Tanzania. The project team includes organizations from Tanzania (Tanzania Communication and Development Center, Benjamin Mkapa Foundation, and Amani Girls Home), Kenya (AI-Fluence) and the U.S. (Manoff Group and D-tree International).    \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>One of the ways  the project is improving health services is by holding educational sessions for facility-based health care providers on identifying and handling malnutrition cases and educating families on preparing locally available nutritious food, including therapeutic food to manage severe malnutrition.    \u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"497\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-4-1024x497.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3942\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-4-1024x497.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-4-300x146.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-4-768x372.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-4-960x466.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-4-375x182.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-4.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Neema playing outside of her home.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lucy Mwaluwyo, a nutrition district officer at Bunda Town Council, says that, “Before the training, I had limited information in handling malnutrition cases.” Now, she trains other health care providers.    \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Children with acute malnutrition are referred to the regional hospital several kilometers away. But, for families who could not afford the cost of medical nutritional supplements, there was a risk they’d leave the hospital before their child was treated. “It was serious,” says Lucy. “Learning how to prepare local nutritious food removed this barrier. When the supplementary feed is not available, we teach caregivers how to prepare local nutritious food, which has the same impact and is readily available.”    \u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"555\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-5-1-1024x555.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3944\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-5-1-1024x555.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-5-1-300x163.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-5-1-768x416.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-5-1-960x520.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-5-1-375x203.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-Image-5-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Neema playing with her older sisters.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the first four months of the project, USAID Afya Yangu-RMNCAH project trained 27 health care providers who have reached 102 caregivers and treated 76 children in the Mara region. Children like Neema. “As a mother, I’m happy to see my child’s health has improved,” says Regina. “Her health gives my heart peace and that makes me satisfied and fulfilled. My desire now is to work hard and see my child succeed in life—free from malnutrition.”    \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Bina Valsangkar, MD MPH FAAP, Principal Technical Advisor, Maternal Newborn Health, reviewed this article.\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Dominic Fortunatus is a Communications Officer in Jhpiego’s office in Tanzania.\u003C/em>  \u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>At 21 months, Neema is the picture of health, bright-eyed and toddling around her family’s home.  She plays hide and…\u003C/p>\n","noticing-needs-of-undernourished-children","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/noticing-needs-of-undernourished-children/","/our-stories/p/noticing-needs-of-undernourished-children/","2023-08-22T20:49:00","2025-08-13T21:03:36",{"id":2312,"src":2313,"width":62,"height":2314,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":2315,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2316,"srcset":2317,"sizes":337,"meta":2318,"acf":2351},3945,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image.jpg",800,"Story-Noticing Needs-feature Image","\u003Cimg width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image.jpg 1200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image.jpg 1200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-960x640.jpg 960w",{"width":62,"height":2314,"file":2319,"filesize":2320,"sizes":2321,"imageMeta":2346},"2025/08/Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image.jpg",173175,{"medium":2322,"large":2325,"thumbnail":2328,"mediumLarge":2331,"postThumbnail":2334,"socialPreview":2337,"smallPreview":2340,"mediumPreview":2343},{"file":2323,"width":33,"height":34,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2324},"Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-300x200.jpg",30571,{"file":2326,"width":38,"height":265,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2327},"Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-1024x683.jpg",124235,{"file":2329,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2330},"Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-150x150.jpg",22008,{"file":2332,"width":47,"height":272,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2333},"Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-768x512.jpg",84263,{"file":2335,"width":283,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2336},"Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-810x540.jpg",90983,{"file":2338,"width":62,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2339},"Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-1200x630.jpg",139767,{"file":2341,"width":67,"height":68,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2342},"Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-375x250.jpg",37458,{"file":2344,"width":72,"height":293,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2345},"Story-Noticing-Needs-feature-Image-960x640.jpg",112709,{"aperture":171,"credit":20,"camera":1167,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":2347,"copyright":20,"focalLength":2348,"iso":1494,"shutterSpeed":2349,"title":20,"orientation":309,"keywords":2350},"1690547338","105","0.001",[],{"primaryColor":2352,"blurhash":2353},"#caccc8","UYMZ];%2.l%zATW-H?RiK$SzeAi_^jn,XlN@",{"id":2355,"guid":2356,"title":2357,"content":2358,"excerpt":2359,"excerptRaw":20,"slug":2360,"url":2361,"uri":2362,"to":2362,"status":325,"date":2363,"modified":2364,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":2365},3785,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3785","Quality Emergency Health Care for Mom and Baby — Even on a Boat in a Rain Storm ","\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3786\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Linda Bwembya and her son Isaiah, who is healthy and thriving after a harrowing birth. Photos by Jhpiego/Francis Kaira\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Isaiah’s birth day is one his mother will never forget. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Rain was falling on her island home in Lake Bangweulu when Linda Bwembya’s labor pains began. She sought care at the local health center, where she fully expected to give birth as she had with her first child. But a Jhpiego-trained nurse examined Linda and realized the young mother had a potentially life-threatening complication, obstructed labor. The nurse recommended Linda be immediately transported to a larger health facility — a boat ride away. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Scared of what would happen next, Linda agreed to make the journey. While in transit, the boat got lost in a heavy rain and had to anchor for the night. By the time the boat arrived on shore, nearly 24 hours later, Linda and her baby were in distress. Dr. Nicholas Sakala, who met the boat when it arrived, examined Linda, recognized the gravity of the situation, and decided to accompany her to the nearest hospital where she could get a cesarean section. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Sakala was ready to face the next challenge because of the training and mentorship in emergency obstetric and newborn care he received through the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Family Health and Nutrition Activity, led by Jhpiego.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As they waited for an ambulance, Dr. Sakala monitored Linda’s condition. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“I noticed the baby crowning . . . [and] I immediately conducted the delivery on the boat. The [umbilical] cord was around the neck two times and I quickly slipped it over the baby’s head to free the neck. Upon delivery, the baby could not cry. I started neonatal resuscitation and the baby cried.” — Dr. Nicholas Sakala\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>He then turned his attention to Linda, who was weak and bleeding heavily. Dr. Sakala managed to control the bleeding and prepared mother and baby for the next leg of the journey—a 90-minute ride to Samfya District Hospital. Upon their arrival, nurses examined mom and baby and provided the care they required after their harrowing experience. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Within three days, Linda and baby Isaiah were on their way home.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"726\" height=\"751\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3787\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-2.png 726w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-2-290x300.png 290w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-2-522x540.png 522w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-2-375x388.png 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 726px) 100vw, 726px\" />\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Today, Linda and her fisherman husband delight in their healthy and thriving son. Recalling Isaiah’s birth, Linda thanked Dr. Sakala for “saving my life and that of my baby.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Had it not been for him, both my baby and I would not have been alive today,” she said. “He did a commendable job and I am always grateful to him.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For his part, Dr. Sakala credited the emergency preparedness training he received in managing complications at birth as well as the mentorship for strengthening his skills and confidence, “yielding the desired results in saving the lives of the women and the babies.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>The Family and Nutrition Activity is a five-year project focused on strengthening the capacity of the Zambian public health system to sustainably deliver reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition services through improving service-delivery capacity, health management and financial systems, and engagement of communities in their health. This project works in tandem with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency’s program to strengthen continuum of care. Other consortium partners include Churches Health Association of Zambia, Copper Rose Zambia, Johns Hopkins University International Vaccine Access Center and Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Manoff Group and Thinkwell.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Francis Kaira is the knowledge management and communications officer and Charity Bwalya serves as the maternal and newborn health advisor in Jhpiego’s Zambia office.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Isaiah’s birth day is one his mother will never forget.  Rain was falling on her island home in Lake Bangweulu…\u003C/p>\n","quality-emergency-health-care-for-mom-and-baby-even-on-a-boat-in-a-rain-storm","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/quality-emergency-health-care-for-mom-and-baby-even-on-a-boat-in-a-rain-storm/","/our-stories/p/quality-emergency-health-care-for-mom-and-baby-even-on-a-boat-in-a-rain-storm/","2023-05-24T20:55:43","2025-08-12T14:38:12",{"id":2366,"src":2367,"width":38,"height":265,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":2368,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2369,"srcset":2370,"sizes":2264,"meta":2371,"acf":2399},3786,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1.jpg","Story-Quality emergency-image 1","\u003Cimg width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-960x640.jpg 960w",{"width":38,"height":265,"file":2372,"filesize":2373,"sizes":2374,"imageMeta":2396},"2025/08/Story-Quality-emergency-image-1.jpg",90402,{"medium":2375,"thumbnail":2378,"mediumLarge":2381,"postThumbnail":2384,"socialPreview":2387,"smallPreview":2390,"mediumPreview":2393},{"file":2376,"width":33,"height":34,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2377},"Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-300x200.jpg",18128,{"file":2379,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2380},"Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-150x150.jpg",11760,{"file":2382,"width":47,"height":272,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2383},"Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-768x512.jpg",58570,{"file":2385,"width":283,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2386},"Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-810x540.jpg",63769,{"file":2388,"width":38,"height":63,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2389},"Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-1024x630.jpg",85167,{"file":2391,"width":67,"height":68,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2392},"Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-375x250.jpg",23615,{"file":2394,"width":72,"height":293,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2395},"Story-Quality-emergency-image-1-960x640.jpg",80082,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":2397,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":309,"keywords":2398},"1681922132",[],{"primaryColor":2400,"blurhash":2401},"#d9c3b5","UIJ*0O^+m$ro00RiETSi0JE1?bS$_No~aIMx",{"id":2403,"guid":2404,"title":2405,"content":2406,"excerpt":2407,"excerptRaw":2407,"slug":2408,"url":2409,"uri":2410,"to":2410,"status":325,"date":2411,"modified":2412,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":2413},2204,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=2204","Nurse-midwives Use Ultrasounds to Improve Maternal Care in Rural Malawi","\n\u003Cp>Blantyre, Malawi — “Fifteen years on the job and I still cannot get over the joy upon hearing that first cry of a newborn baby followed by the relief from a mother and jubilation from family members after a successful delivery,” says Pauline Jalisi, a nurse-midwife in Malawi. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi-helps-provide-high-quality-care-to-pregnant-women.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2207\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi-helps-provide-high-quality-care-to-pregnant-women.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi-helps-provide-high-quality-care-to-pregnant-women.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda-300x169.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi-helps-provide-high-quality-care-to-pregnant-women.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda-768x432.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi-helps-provide-high-quality-care-to-pregnant-women.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda-960x540.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi-helps-provide-high-quality-care-to-pregnant-women.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda-375x211.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nurse-midwife Pauline Jalisi helps provide high-quality care to pregnant women. Photos by Jhpiego/Sarah Sakanda.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But the journey to jubilation is often long. Safe motherhood begins with high-quality maternal health services, which are often challenging to provide in Malawi. Although maternal deaths have been steadily decreasing, there are still \u003Ca href=\"https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.MMRT?locations=MW\">349 deaths per 100,000 deliveries\u003C/a> in the country. To ensure a happy and healthy delivery day, the Government of Malawi recommends that pregnant women attend eight antenatal visits at a health facility, in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. But few pregnant women meet this target, due to a range of barriers to care. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Like Pauline, health workers in Malawi’s Blantyre region struggle to provide comprehensive high-quality care to pregnant women, due to gaps in staffing, skills and equipment. Pauline works at the only government health center in Zingwangwa, Malawi, which serves almost 140,000 people. Her day at the facility starts as early as 7 a.m., when she is welcomed by a waiting queue of pregnant women. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“\u003Cstrong>Every day, I serve at least 20 pregnant women and we have a minimum of five births. Even though we have hectic days, we make sure to provide dignified, human-centered care to any woman who arrives at the facility.”\u003C/strong> – Pauline Jalisi, a nurse-midwife in Malawi\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Several years ago, Malawi adopted guidelines to provide at least one ultrasound scan to every pregnant woman to help detect maternal and fetal complications. This seemed to be a \u003Ca href=\"https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00314-X/fulltext\">hard-to-realize dream for most health centers\u003C/a>, including the one where Pauline works, because ultrasounds aren’t routinely available at the health center level, and health workers don’t have the skills to use them. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"727\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2206\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda.jpg 727w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda-213x300.jpg 213w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda-383x540.jpg 383w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Nurse-midwife-Pauline-Jalisi.-Photos-by-Jhpiego_Sarah-Sakanda-375x528.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nurse-midwife Pauline Jalisi. Photos by Jhpiego/Sarah Sakanda.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n\u003Cp>“Not so long ago, I was at pains every time I failed to timely assist women who had complications and had to be referred to our referral hospital at the eleventh hour because I was not able to detect the complications in good time,” Pauline says. “I had no skills or equipment to do an ultrasound for the pregnant women. This made me feel that I was failing the women because we have had a few cases where a woman would die on the way to the referral hospital.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But Pauline’s feeling that she’s failed these women was about to lessen. Through a collaboration between Jhpiego and Johns Hopkins Research Project – Blantyre as part of the \u003Ca href=\"https://hcdformnh.jhpiego.org/?_ga=2.250216902.1981109581.1682343483-1248103199.1680641302\">Antenatal/Postnatal Research Collective\u003C/a> (ARC), and in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Malawi, Pauline and two other midwives from the Zingwangwa Health Center joined 41 other midwives at a training on new service delivery technologies to increase continuity of care and improve quality of care. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>ARC collaborated with hundreds of women, their families, providers and community members in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Mali to explore service delivery approaches that provide safe, respectful and valuable experiences for women and their health care providers. In Malawi, ARC designed a study to explore the use of a portable ultrasound device called Butterfly iQ during antenatal care (ANC) services at the health facility and whether midwives could be trained efficiently to use the device.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“This is the most extensive study of feasibility of ultrasound introduction in Malawi to date,” says Dr. Lisa Noguchi, Jhpiego’s Director of Maternal Health. “The study directly addresses WHO’s call for further implementation research on introduction of ultrasound in ANC.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Butterfly iQ study was implemented in partnership with the Malawi Ministry of Health in 2021–2022 and the University of Malawi College of Medicine with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Now, Pauline can conduct ultrasounds for pregnant women and her work has contributed to more effective collaboration with the local hospital. She is happy she can provide a more positive pregnancy experience for the many women from her area. \u003C/p>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Our quality of care at this community facility has been enhanced through the provision of ultrasound scanning to all pregnant women that come for the antenatal clinic,” she says. “Ever since I was trained, I have scanned over 100 women and referred those with complications to the referral hospital in good time. It brings so much joy to see the women happy to see their unborn babies and even hear their heartbeat. It’s something they have never experienced before.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>At least 44 midwives from 10 health centers within Blantyre City and surrounding areas were trained to use the Butterfly iQ device by seven medical doctors from the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology department. Over the course of the study, the health centers conducted 1,500 ultrasounds, and continue to offer them today. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I’m so happy that all centers managed to do successfully offer ultrasound scans, says Pauline. “[Even after the ARC study] midwives continue to provide ultrasounds to pregnant women in their health centers.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We are delighted to see that the midwives have made a difference in the lives of over a thousand women in this short time and will continue to do so,” said Fidelis Sindani, Jhpiego’s Monitoring and Evaluation Director in Malawi. “The study has underscored the role of midwives in offering comprehensive, high-quality maternal health services.” Through this work, ARC is also contributing to learning around expanded scope of practice for midwives. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Sarah Sakanda is the knowledge and communication specialist in the Jhpiego Malawi office.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>In partnership with the Ministry of Health in Malawi, midwives learned how to use new service delivery technologies to increase continuity of care and improve quality of care. \u003C/p>\n","nurse-midwives-use-ultrasounds-to-improve-maternal-care-in-rural-malawi","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/nurse-midwives-use-ultrasounds-to-improve-maternal-care-in-rural-malawi/","/our-stories/p/nurse-midwives-use-ultrasounds-to-improve-maternal-care-in-rural-malawi/","2023-05-24T20:16:00","2025-08-08T20:21:12",{"id":2414,"src":2415,"width":2416,"height":2417,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":2418,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2419,"srcset":2420,"sizes":2421,"meta":2422,"acf":2482},2205,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Pauline-Jalisi-using-an-ultrasound-on-a-patient_Malawi_Sarah-Sakanda.jpg",6240,4160,"Pauline Jalisi using an ultrasound on a patient_Malawi_Sarah Sakanda","\u003Cimg width=\"6240\" height=\"4160\" 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FERGUSON PHOTOGRAPHY","Canon EOS 6D Mark II","1679310497","SANDRA FERGUSON PHOTOGRAPHY     COPYRIGHT AND USAGE RIGHTS","85","160",[],{"primaryColor":2483,"blurhash":2484},"#b7aeb9","UjJ@zr%$WCxayZR.V@NI%MRiemt6t8j[aybc",{"id":2486,"guid":2487,"title":2488,"content":2489,"excerpt":2490,"excerptRaw":2490,"slug":2491,"url":2492,"uri":2493,"to":2493,"status":325,"date":2494,"modified":2495,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":2496},3498,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3498","Women are at the Center of Respectful Maternity Care","\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>Jhpiego, through the \u003Cstrong>MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership\u003C/strong> project, supports countries to adapt global RMC guidance into locally driven action.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>In \u003Cstrong>Sierra Leone\u003C/strong>, RMC training, community engagement, and practical improvements like reducing wait times have led to more women delivering at health facilities.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Over \u003Cstrong>267 health providers\u003C/strong> and \u003Cstrong>53 health facilities\u003C/strong> in Sierra Leone are implementing tangible, self-defined quality-of-care improvements.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Respectful maternity care\u003C/strong> is not just a provider issue—it’s a \u003Cstrong>health system priority\u003C/strong> that requires engaging communities, supporting providers, and addressing systemic barriers.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3499\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From global recognition to country leadership, respectful care saves lives\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>I want to take you on a journey. It begins in the busiest maternity hospital in Delhi more than 30 years ago, when as a young doctor, I was horrified at what I saw. It ends in the present day, in a small health center in Sierra Leone, where I watched midwives deliver respectful, quality care to women before, during and after labor.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What I witnessed in my six-month rotation at that Delhi hospital decades ago angered me and has fueled my work ever since. The births happened in a crowded, chaotic room. There was no heat—and Delhi winters can be harsh. I saw women doubled over in pain. Scared. Alone. With no privacy and no one explaining what was happening. Many experienced unnecessary—and by today’s standards harmful—practices like having an enema or their pubic hair shaved. If they were given an episiotomy, it was likely without anesthesia. If a woman squirmed or screamed, she might be scolded or slapped. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"3500\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3500\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-02.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Doris Taylor, a midwife at Murray Town Community Health Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, examines Romotu Tunkare, who is six months pregnant. Photos by Karel Prinsloo, Jhpiego\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"3501\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3501\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-03.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Doris Taylor, a midwife at Murray Town Community Health Center in Freetown, Sierra Leone, examines Romotu Tunkare, who is six months pregnant. Photos by Karel Prinsloo, Jhpiego\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Through Jhpiego, I joined a movement of likeminded global partners who know that a woman’s dignity, privacy and confidentiality during labor and childbirth—and her ability to make informed choices about her care—comprise more than a feel-good approach. Respectful maternity care (RMC) saves lives by creating a welcoming environment during one of the most vulnerable times in the life of a woman or newborn. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The safest place for a woman to deliver and a newborn to be born is at a “functional” health facility, one with adequate staff, essential supplies and high-quality services delivered by a skilled birth attendant. Women are less likely to seek services when they hear about mistreatment at a facility. In settings that offer quality services, health workers provide dignified, respectful care as an essential component of care. They identify, manage and treat health conditions that complicate pregnancy, reduce the risk of poor health outcomes for women and newborns, and reduce rates of maternal and newborn deaths and illness.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3503\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-04.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Dr Agarwal with Jhpiego’s Sierra Leone in-country team, including Country Director Baindu Kosia (at right). Photos by Chermor Bangura, Jhpiego\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Early Champions\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego has championed this movement from its inception—from bringing global recognition to the problem, to galvanizing funding to address it, to helping countries translate RMC to their specific needs. Today, we carry the RMC banner forward through the Jhpiego-led and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership project as well as other maternal health initiatives.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Countries are leading the way on RMC and increasingly adapting and using the global guidance, tools and resources developed by the World Health Organization, USAID, MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership, and others to make RMC a reality. MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership is helping countries translate global respectful care policies and evidence-based practices into action by creating awareness about the “must haves” for RMC, and supporting country efforts to incorporate them into their daily practice.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>These include engaging the community, providers and local health leaders in a collaborative process to prioritize RMC, and recognizing that strained and under-resourced health systems lead to overworked, underpaid providers who suffer disrespect themselves and experience burnout. Therefore, the lack of RMC is not a provider issue; it is a health system issue.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Countries Driving Their Own Success\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In every country where MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership works, national and local leaders and health workers are moving RMC forward. Decades after the need for RMC was made real to me in India, I saw the power of local leadership on a visit to Murray Town Health Center in Sierra Leone. This small clinic on the outskirts of Freetown is supported by the project and provides basic health and emergency services to mothers, pregnant women and children from surrounding communities.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3504\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-05.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Dr Koki Agarwal with nurses and midwives at Murray Town Health Center.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The nurses and midwives I met were eager to tell me about themselves, their work and their clinic. And there was one thing in particular that they could not stop talking about: respectful maternity care.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“We allow (birth) companions, speak gently and offer services with a smile.” – Murray Town midwife, Zainab Mansaray  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In addition to providing RMC training, MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership supported the team to identify their own priorities for improving quality of care. The staff set their sights on reducing waiting times for women in labor. They proposed having a lab technician dedicated to the delivery ward available for every shift. Now, a lab technician collects samples and brings them to the lab for screening \u003Cem>while\u003C/em> nurses admit patients and carry out routine assessments, shortening wait times. Since the RMC training and reduced waiting times, more women in the community are choosing to deliver in the facility rather than at home.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That is what true locally driven change looks like. These nurses and midwives are setting the priorities today and charting their own paths to improve care. It’s about countries, health facilities and health workers taking the lead in realizing RMC as it looks like for them.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Sierra Leone alone, MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership has provided RMC training to 267 health care providers and supports 53 health facilities on their journey to make tangible, self-determined improvements and provide quality of care.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego is carrying out similar work in countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, engaging countries to incorporate a stronger focus on RMC to improve and enhance care across maternal and newborn health programs.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s a far cry from what I witnessed in that Delhi hospital many years ago. Countries are taking the lead to deliver on the promise of high-quality, compassionate care for all women. The work continues as it always has: partnering with communities, listening first and working together to create the change countries want for themselves. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Koki Agarwal, MD, MPH, DrPH, is the Director, MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership, and Vice President, DC Operations, Jhpiego. Executive speechwriter Katrin DeCamp and Angela Pereira, Communications Team Lead, MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership, also contributed to this story.\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>From a crowded maternity ward in Delhi decades ago to a vibrant clinic in Sierra Leone today, Dr. Koki Agarwal has seen firsthand how respectful maternity care transforms outcomes. This story shows how countries are leading their own change.\u003C/p>\n","women-are-at-the-center-of-respectful-maternity-care","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/women-are-at-the-center-of-respectful-maternity-care/","/our-stories/p/women-are-at-the-center-of-respectful-maternity-care/","2023-01-24T01:40:00","2025-08-08T20:21:19",{"id":2497,"src":2498,"width":18,"height":962,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":2499,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2500,"srcset":2501,"sizes":26,"meta":2502,"acf":2541},3499,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01.jpg","Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Koki-Agarwal-01-24-2023-01.jpg 2048w, 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Community Health Worker’s Ambition: Prevent malaria in pregnant women","\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dedicated health volunteers carry out the goals of TIPTOP project.\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Kenge, Democratic Republic of the Congo—In rural Makiala village in southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), young mothers often lived alone or with their grandmothers while their husbands or partners left to seek work in the city. Pregnant women preferred to give birth at home or elsewhere due to a lack of medical supplies and quality care at the health facility, but many died or gave birth to stillborn babies from a lack of medical attention. These deaths created a climate of fear and distrust.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nevertheless, one courageous woman is working to break this reality and perception—Madeleine Kiese Vuandu, a community health worker and mother of four. Vuandu provides counseling, education and information to residents in this village. As a community health worker, she visits households and talks with pregnant women and their families about malaria prevention, the importance of antenatal care and hygiene. She does so with passion and joy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2019, Vuandu expanded her mission after she attended an advocacy meeting on maternal health held by Jhpiego as part of the Transforming Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Optimal Pregnancy (TIPTOP) project. Due to her previous work supporting pregnant women in her village, Vuandu was selected by her community to be trained and supported through the TIPTOP project to provide quality malaria prevention services to pregnant women. The project used an innovative community-based approach to distribute an antimalarial treatment—sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine—to eligible pregnant women. Vuandu accepted this new role, realizing the project’s goals aligned with her community work and was keen to continue helping pregnant women in her village.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>It is true that a community health worker is a bridge. I just realized it through this mission of the TIPTOP project for my community. Just communicate and things change.\u003C/em> – Madeleine Kiese Vuandu\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Malaria is the main cause of illness and death in the DRC. It is especially dangerous for pregnant women because pregnancy reduces women’s immunity to malaria, which increases the risk of severe anemia, miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth and even death. However, the use of a safe, effective and affordable antimalaria treatment, referred to as intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, or IPTp for short, reduces these risks.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The TIPTOP project, led by Jhpiego and funded by Unitaid, worked through a network of community health workers like Vuandu, to deliver IPTp in community districts in the DRC, Madagascar, Mozambique and Nigeria. IPTp is usually provided during antenatal care visits, but the percentage of women who take a full course of treatment is well below the global targets due to barriers such as access and lack of awareness around malaria in pregnancy. TIPTOP piloted a community-based approach to deliver IPTp to eligible pregnant women where they live and encourage antenatal care attendance.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Many projects came to the village but they did not involve us. So, we didn’t understand anything. The TIPTOP project, through Jhpiego, came to work with us and to save lives,” Vuandu says. “I am impressed by their approach and work. I told myself that I have to join them in preventing malaria during pregnancy and save the lives of mothers and babies—I am a part of this.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"651\" height=\"434\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC-photo-MadeleineVuanduw-client.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2905\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC-photo-MadeleineVuanduw-client.jpg 651w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC-photo-MadeleineVuanduw-client-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC-photo-MadeleineVuanduw-client-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Madeleine Kiese Vuandu (left), a community health worker in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, talks with a member of her village about the importance of malaria prevention for pregnant women.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When Vuandu’s village selected her to be their community IPTp leader, she joined TIPTOP’s IPTp community health worker group. In this role, she administers IPTp to pregnant women in the village, starting with the first dose, and refers them to the health facility for antenatal care services. She also conducts household visits, raises awareness about community distribution of IPTp and follows up with pregnant women to complete antenatal care visits.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>At the beginning, everything seemed difficult—people didn’t understand why Vuandu prioritized visits to pregnant women. But with her courage and commitment, and support from the community health focal points, Vuandu overcame these obstacles and the community came to trust her. In 2019, all 17 pregnant women who Vuandu identified attended their antenatal care visits at the nearby health facility and gave birth successfully.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Across the life of the TIPTOP project in the DRC, the percentage of pregnant women who received the recommended three doses of IPTp increased from 21 percent at baseline to 65 percent at endline. In addition, the percentage of women who attended four antenatal care visits increased from 40 percent to 49 percent. This last number is particularly striking since TIPTOP set out to prove that community distribution of IPTp would not detract from women attending antenatal care at the health facility; in the case of the DRC, community IPTp actually helped increase antenatal attendance.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The TIPTOP project ended in May 2022, but that didn’t end community IPTp. The project built in a sustainability plan that included income generating activities to support community distribution of IPTp in TIPTOP-supported districts. Now, the engaged community supports and owns this approach because they appreciated the changes TIPTOP brought to pregnant women and their families. Today, in the three TIPTOP project districts in the DRC, community IPTp is integrated into the health system and all community health workers are trained and provided with the tools to carry out community IPTp.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Vuandu and other community health workers, more pregnant women from the village are coming to the health facility and keeping their antenatal care appointments. Vuandu’s neighbor Joyce is one of the 61 women who recently gave birth to healthy babies.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Joyce, my neighbor, gave me joy. I worked with her from the start of her pregnancy—when she received her first dose of IPTp—until she delivered at the Makiala Health Center,” says Vuandu. “Today Joyce and baby are doing well. My joy is to see the fruit of nine months of follow-up and advice turned into lives saved in the whole village community.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Fabrice Witanday is a communications and advocacy officer in Jhpiego’s office in Kinshasa, DRC.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Dedicated health volunteers carry out the goals of TIPTOP project\u003C/p>\n","a-community-health-workers-ambition-prevent-malaria-in-pregnant-women","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/a-community-health-workers-ambition-prevent-malaria-in-pregnant-women/","/our-stories/p/a-community-health-workers-ambition-prevent-malaria-in-pregnant-women/","2022-08-08T20:13:28","2025-08-08T20:21:26",{"id":2556,"src":2557,"width":2218,"height":2219,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":2558,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2559,"srcset":2560,"sizes":2223,"meta":2561,"acf":2579},2908,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image.jpg","DRC_Featured_Image","\u003Cimg width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image-375x250.jpg 375w",{"width":2218,"height":2219,"file":2562,"filesize":2563,"sizes":2564,"imageMeta":2577},"2025/07/DRC_Featured_Image.jpg",187080,{"medium":2565,"thumbnail":2568,"mediumLarge":2571,"smallPreview":2574},{"file":2566,"width":33,"height":34,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2567},"DRC_Featured_Image-300x200.jpg",23825,{"file":2569,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2570},"DRC_Featured_Image-150x150.jpg",10674,{"file":2572,"width":47,"height":272,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2573},"DRC_Featured_Image-768x512.jpg",114892,{"file":2575,"width":67,"height":68,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2576},"DRC_Featured_Image-375x250.jpg",35248,{"aperture":86,"credit":1613,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":1614,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":2578},[],{"primaryColor":2580,"blurhash":2581},"#41414a","UWFFmkW@9Gt8~UayD*obxnM_R+t7V?RktSt8",{"id":2583,"guid":2584,"title":2585,"content":2586,"excerpt":2587,"excerptRaw":2587,"slug":2588,"url":2589,"uri":2590,"to":2590,"status":325,"date":2591,"modified":2592,"type":328,"authorId":329,"featuredMedia":2593},5631,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=5631","A Midwife and Ambulance to the Rescue","\n\u003Cp>The frantic call from a nurse at the Koukoudé health post came in at 8 p.m. A woman in labor with twins had given birth to the first baby, but now, hours later, the second baby had not yet arrived.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Immediately, Kalaya Kourouma, a midwife at the Boffa District Hospital in Guinea, alerted a district coordinator who dispatched an ambulance that would take Kalaya to the laboring mother’s bedside. Before setting out, Kalaya assembled an emergency kit, which included a delivery kit, oxytocin to prevent postpartum hemorrhage, a pair of gloves, a blood pressure monitor, a mask and oxygen.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"269\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/guinea-story-300x269-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5632\"/>\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kalaya Kourouma, a midwife at the Boffa District Hospital in Guinea.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>By the time the ambulance delivered the midwife to Koukoudé village at 9:00 p.m., the family at the scene was panicking. Kalaya’s examination revealed that the woman’s blood pressure was low—and that the unborn twin was in a breech presentation.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Through the Health Service Delivery (HSD) project, initiated in 2016 in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Guinea and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, Jhpiego helped create mobile clinics as a way to serve hard-to-reach communities and develop trust in the health care system. It’s part of an ongoing effort to address underutilization of health care services and facilities by communities that have lost trust in them, whether because of the Ebola epidemic or due to poor quality and availability of care—all of which exacerbate people’s wariness.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Boffa District Hospital, where midwife Kayala works, has received HSD project support for various interventions related to maternal health: training in basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care, provision of equipment and materials, regular supervision, and establishment of a continuous quality improvement process for the workplace.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The HSD project received supplemental funding in 2019 specifically for outreach activities. To this end, the project created mobile clinics as a way to provide health services to women in hard-to-reach communities using ambulances purchased by the project during weekly open-air markets in different villages. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions interrupted full implementation. The project changed its strategy and designated these ambulances as mobile clinics to meet the obstetrical referral needs of district maternity hospitals.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It was one of those ambulances that midwife Kalaya commandeered to transport herself and the mother, along with newborn twin No. 1, to the district hospital.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Just a few miles into the journey, the mother’s contractions started again. The midwife called for the ambulance to stop. Then and there, in the vehicle, she capably and safely performed a breech delivery, following the national protocol. A healthy baby boy was born at 9:30 p.m. Kalaya conducted an initial newborn assessment and provided appropriate care.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The driver took to the road again, driving cautiously and finally arriving at 11:00 p.m. at the district hospital, where a care team of midwives, nurses and doctors awaited the woman and her two babies. After three days of observation, they returned to their village. The woman’s mother-in-law and husband repeatedly blessed and thanked the staff, especially the quick-acting Kalaya who had come to their rescue.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The mother received family planning counseling at the hospital and chose an implant, which was inserted before discharge. The midwife followed up with the health post and confirmed that the mother had returned for postnatal care and was doing well.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Through the HSD project, Kalaya, a widow and mother of five, said she and her department colleagues have been made to feel like “queens.” “I feel proud of the job I’m doing! What made this experience even more special for me was the communication with the hospital team to prepare everything before our arrival, including the laboratory and the operating room,” she said.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“The availability of the ambulance has put us at ease, because it reduces referral delays. We can call the district coordinator of the project directly at any time and off we go, right away!” – Kalaya\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The mother of twins is just one of about 50 women from remote areas transported by the project ambulance to the hospital over six months (October 2020 through March 2021). All presented with complications, including hemorrhaging during the first or last trimester, prolonged labor, eclampsia, abnormal presentation of the baby and postpartum anemia.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Working in the Boffa district since the start of HSD, the project has achieved encouraging results there despite the challenges of the pandemic. The district has seen a 28% increase in assisted deliveries, with use of the partograph to monitor labor increasing from 18% to 77%, and active management of the third stage of labor increasing from 60% to 99%, and a decrease in the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage from 0.9% to 0.6%. Of special note, the hospital was awarded its first star by the Ministry of Health through the HSD project for improving the quality of services through performance standards in emergency obstetric and newborn care, family planning and infection prevention and control.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Jacqueline Aribot, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, and Mohamed Nioké V, District Project Coordinator, are with Jhpiego’s Guinea Office.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>The frantic call from a nurse at the Koukoudé health post came in at 8 p.m. A woman in labor with twins had given birth to the first baby, but now, hours later, the second baby had not yet arrived.\u003C/p>\n","a-midwife-and-ambulance-to-the-rescue","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/a-midwife-and-ambulance-to-the-rescue/","/our-stories/p/a-midwife-and-ambulance-to-the-rescue/","2021-12-15T02:38:00","2025-08-29T02:49:42",{"id":2594,"src":2595,"width":33,"height":2596,"alt":20,"caption":2597,"title":2598,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":2599,"srcset":2600,"sizes":2601,"meta":2602,"acf":2611},5632,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/guinea-story-300x269-1.jpg",269,"Kalaya Kourouma, a midwife at the Boffa District Hospital in Guinea.","guinea-story-300x269","\u003Cimg width=\"300\" height=\"269\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/guinea-story-300x269-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/guinea-story-300x269-1.jpg 300w","300px",{"width":33,"height":2596,"file":2603,"filesize":2604,"sizes":2605,"imageMeta":2609},"2025/08/guinea-story-300x269-1.jpg",35654,{"thumbnail":2606},{"file":2607,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":2608},"guinea-story-300x269-1-150x150.jpg",19718,{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":309,"keywords":2610},[],{"primaryColor":2612,"blurhash":2613},"#a6674a","UcKS;RaccWwI~Wrr$+smNFs:NHt6Z#kWNZof",{"id":835,"guid":836,"title":837,"content":838,"excerpt":839,"excerptRaw":839,"slug":840,"url":841,"uri":842,"to":842,"status":325,"date":843,"modified":844,"type":328,"authorId":487,"featuredMedia":2615},{"id":846,"src":847,"width":848,"height":849,"alt":20,"caption":20,"title":850,"description":20,"mimeType":23,"html":851,"srcset":852,"sizes":853,"meta":2616,"acf":2625},{"width":848,"height":849,"file":855,"filesize":856,"sizes":2617,"imageMeta":2623},{"medium":2618,"thumbnail":2619,"mediumLarge":2620,"postThumbnail":2621,"smallPreview":2622},{"file":859,"width":33,"height":860,"mimeType":23,"filesize":861},{"file":863,"width":43,"height":43,"mimeType":23,"filesize":864},{"file":866,"width":47,"height":867,"mimeType":23,"filesize":868},{"file":870,"width":871,"height":58,"mimeType":23,"filesize":872},{"file":874,"width":67,"height":875,"mimeType":23,"filesize":876},{"aperture":86,"credit":20,"camera":20,"caption":20,"createdTimestamp":86,"copyright":20,"focalLength":86,"iso":86,"shutterSpeed":86,"title":20,"orientation":86,"keywords":2624},[],{"primaryColor":880,"blurhash":881},1780945845007]