Family Health Ministries’ Maternal Child Health program aims to decrease maternal and infant mortality. We are working with Haitian partners to figure out the best interventions to save moms and their babies.

Need

• Research from the World Health Organization shows that Haiti has one of highest rates for maternal and infant mortality in the Western hemisphere.
• Primary causes of maternal and infant death in Haiti include hemorrhage, infection, and complications during labor, along with some others, including preeclampsia, asphyxia, and tetanus.
• Country-wide, it is estimated that around 26% of births in Haiti are attended by a skilled birth attendant. In the rural areas, this drops to a rather shocking 15%.

Objectives

• Understand the common causes of maternal death in Leogane as well as the beliefs and practices surrounding childbirth in Haiti
• Improve the outcomes of home deliveries by training traditional birth attendants in safe delivery practices, providing a center with trained attendants, and appropriate post-delivery medical referrals
• Develop a birth registry in Leogane that incorporates GPS mapping technology

Progress

• A new partnership with Building Goodness Foundation allowed us to address the issues directly. The Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center opened in early 2016 bringing the first Safe Motherhood Clinic to the mountain town of Tom Gato in the Leogane commune.

This clinic serves as a bridge between rural communities and the Leogane Family Health Center by providing education, prenatal care, and a place for pregnant women to labor with the assistance of skilled birth attendants. Women with obstetrical complications will have improved access to care through early intervention and transport to nearby hospitals. This new facility is just the beginning in assisting local communities to develop an integrated health system.