Capacity Building
As our treatment efforts have grown,
further expansion of the Screen, Transport, and Treat Program was challenged by the marginal capacity of the hospitals and health centers where we are working.
Medical facilities in rural areas have extremely limited infrastructure. They struggle to provide even basic maternal health care.
Working with local partners,
we developed a simple scorecard assessment tool and in 2016 evaluated the capacity needs of 14 strategically located medical facilities: ten health centers, three district hospitals, and one regional hospital in four parts of rural Ethiopia. Most had no access to clean water, few had places for pregnant women to stay, and many lacked critical medical supplies.
The providers in one health center reported that they delivered 90 babies over three months on a concrete floor, without water, protective gear, or even an exam table.
They were not alone.
Health Facilities Improved
Since 2016, we have implemented our WASH and Maternal Health Initiative in ten medical facilities in rural Ethiopia.
Under this initiative, we have established a referral network of 10 health facilities to give pregnant women and neonates access to medical care:
- 10 health facilities with access to water, power, and measures for sanitation and hygiene
- 10 health facilities with infection prevention controls
- 9 health facilities with infrastructure for maternal health including maternity waiting areas
- 10 health facilities where pregnant women now have access to clean, safe, and effective care at the time of delivery
- 3 health facilities where pregnant women now have access to emergency obstetric care (i.e. Cesarean sections)
- 1 more health facility coming on line to provide emergency obstetric care
We have also worked to establish Aira General Hospital in western Ethiopia as a center of excellence for women’s health with the capacity to provide skilled assistance with delivery and surgical treatment for fistula and severe pelvic organ prolapse.