There is a need to increase the access of women to better healthcare and also enhance their awareness to improve both maternal and child health.
This proposal seeks to improve maternal and child health through a long term integrated Health project. The project aims to improve the health status of women and children through an improved access to reproductive and child health in some neglected parts of rural Liberia, in West Africa.
Project background
810 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth (WHO, 2017). According to various sources, the direct causes of maternal deaths include excessive blood loss, infection, high blood pressure, unsafe abortion, and obstructed labor, and the indirect causes include anemia, malaria, and heart disease. The last two decades have witnessed a significant reduction in newborn and maternal deaths; the newborn mortality was halved from 37 to 18%, between 1990 and 2020, while the global maternal mortality rate was reduced by nearly 38% between 2000 to 2017.
Despite all the advances and progress made towards reducing maternal and infant mortality, a large number of deaths occur every day, especially in low-income countries, where the risk associated with maternal death is almost 130 times higher than that in a high-income country. The graph below shows the global maternal deaths between 2000 and 2017 in the different regions. It can be seen that almost two-thirds of maternal deaths occurred in Sub- Saharan Africa. The graph clearly shows that the risk of women dying from childbirth has reduced considerably over the years, but regions specifically those belonging to poor countries still have a high rate of maternal mortality indicating the health inequalities that exist.
Another issue that most poor countries face is the high rate of infant mortality. According to UNICEF, there has been remarkable progress in improving child survival between 1990 and 2017, but we are still far from achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. We need to reduce the child mortality rate to 2.5% in all countries by 2030 to attain the goal, however, globally 3.9% of all children, i.e., on average 15,000 children die every day. The graph below represents the child mortality rate in different countries.
Some facts that reiterate the gravity of the situation are appended below:
7,000 babies die every day in the first month of life.
In 2019, an estimated 2.4 million newborns died worldwide.
Globally, about 810 women die each day from preventable complications related to pregnancy or childbirth.
Sub-Saharan Africa records the world’s highest rates of newborn and maternal mortality.
48 million children under the age of 5 are projected to die between 2020 and 2030, half of them newborns.
There is an urgent need to end preventable maternal deaths and improve infant survival globally and reduce the disparity between the high-income and low-income countries. Along with improving the access of women to healthcare, there is also a need to improve the awareness related to the sexual and reproductive rights of women.
Project Site
The project will be implemented in the Country of Liberia, in the precise area of Toe City, Gbarzon District, Grand-Gedeh County, were our organization had obtained 50 acres of Land, awarded to us by the people of the above mentioned district, for the implementation of this project.
The country of Liberia, in West Africa, is a lower income country, and has a large proportion of its population still living in poverty, especially for its people living in the rural areas, precisely, living in the south-eastern region Liberia, in West Africa.
The country has high rates of maternal mortality and also high incidents of child morbidity and mortality.
Approximately, 31% of the under-five children are stunted in growth, while the maternal mortality ratio for 2019 was 437 deaths per 100,000 live births.
There is a need to increase the access of women to better healthcare and also enhance their awareness to improve both maternal and child health. The proposed project seeks to improve maternal and child health through a three-year-long integrated project.
Project Goal:
This project aims to improve the health status of women and children through improved access to reproductive and child health in Liberia, West Africa.
Project Activities
The following activities have been envisaged to achieve the project objectives.
Construction and Operation of a Medical Complex coupled with pediatric center for children welfare.
NAME OF THE MEDICAL COMPLEX:-
JOHPIN MATERNITY AND PEDIATRICS MEMORIAL MEDICAL COMPLEX
LOCATION OF THE HOSPITAL WITH ITS ACTIVITIUES:-
TOE CITY, GBARZON DISTRICT, GRAND GEDEH COUNTY, REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA, WEST AFRICA.
SERVICES AND STAFFING OF A MATERNITY AND PEDIATRICS HOSPITAL.
OVERVIEW
A 125-bed, None Profit, None Political, Maternity and Pediatrics Level 2 Hospital. It is the first of its kind in Liberia, West Africa, exclusively dedicated to mothers and children. We believed that such hospital requires the appropriate quality staff training, skills and experiences to function effectively.
It also requires the requisite primary and ancillary services and support to function smoothly. Solid partnerships and sources of funding are crucial to the maintenance and continuous functionality of the facility.
This entity will provide, but not limited, the following primary services:-
Pre-natal care
Deliveries
Family planning • Psycho-social supportive care • Obstetrics and gynecology • Fertility and reproductive health Ancillary services include: • Laboratory • X-rays • Ultrasonography • EKG • MRI • Pharmacy B.
MAJOR OPERATIONAL UNITS UNIT POSITION
RESPONSIBILITIES NR OF STAFF
Medical Director’s Office Specialized maternal & child health Medical Director
Overall management and administration of the hospital • Formulation of plans, policies, strategies and programs
Day-to-day supervision • Formulation of training programs for medical and other staff 1 Special Assistant • Arrange appointments for medical director • Proxy for medical director at important meetings and functions 1 Nursing Director’s office Registered nurse with added training in maternal and child health • Coordinate all nursing services in collaboration with the medical doctors • Formulate nursing policies and treatment protocols in consultation with the medical director • Coordinate nursing training programs 1 Out-patient department (OPD) Physician Assistant (PA) • Screen and treat medical cases • Refer serious medical and surgical cases to MD • Supervise lower level medical staff 3 Registered Nurse • Do patients’ vital signs • Administer IV and IM medications to patients • Advise patients on compliance and re-visit • Ensure cleanliness of OPD 3 Certified Midwife (CM) • Screen antenatal cases coming to the OPD • Ensure that at risk mothers and children are screened and referred to MD for appropriate care 3 Nurse Aide (NA) • Ensure that patients are directed to the appropriate services they need • Ensure cleanliness of the OPD 3 In-patient department (IPD) Specialized maternal & pediatrics doctor • Supervise general medical practitioners in caring for admitted mothers and children • Generate maternal and child treatment protocols • Conduct regular in-service training in maternal and child health for other health personnel 2 General medical doctor • Supervise the OPD • Coordinate the running of shifts • Conduct quality patient care • Assist the medical director and specialists in formulation of treatment guidelines and protocols 5 Registered Nurse • Run each shift together with MD • Carry out doctor’s orders • Ensure quality in-patient care • Ensure cleanliness of the wards 10 Emergency services Emergency medical doctor & emergency staff • Handle emergency maternal and pediatric cases • Screen, order labs and other medical investigations and treat as needed • Establish and implement 24 hours shifts 6 Surgical services Maternity & pediatric surgeon, general surgeon, OR team • Perform and manage all surgical cases seen at the hospital 8 Administrative Services Director Medical Administrator with added training in maternal and child health • Personnel management • Administrative records management • Liaise with other health authorities and the national ministry of health • Represent the hospital at health and related forums 1 Administrative staff • Carry out administrative services as approved by the Administrator and the Medical Director 4 Financial services Comptroller • Coordinate all financial matters, i.e budgeting, billing, accounts, cash operations 1 Finance officer • Conduct financial services as directed by the comptroller 2 ANCILLARY OPERATIONAL UNITS Laboratory Services Laboratory Technician • Conduct routine and specialized lab tests • Ensure that the laboratory is equipped with modern lab equipment • Supervise other laboratory staff • Formulate and conduct in-service training in consultation with the MD 2 Laboratory Assistants • Assist the lab technician with all laboratory work 3 Pharmacy Pharmacist • Manage all pharmaceutical products • Supervise dispensers 1 Dispensers • In charge of dispensing drugs and medical supplies ordered by doctors 3 Clinical imaging services Clinical imaging specialist • Conduct and authorize execution of x-rays, ultra sonograms, MRI imaging, etc • Regularly train team members in existing and advance techniques 1 Clinical imaging team • Carry out tasks as ordered by doctors and other professional clinical staff 3 Blood bank Blood safety specialist • Coordinate all transfusion and storing of blood and blood products • Conduct regular training for team members 1 Blood safety team • Execute all orders concerning storing, safety and transfusion of blood and blood products as ordered by professional clinical staff
Additionally, Health awareness sessions for the community:-
The real problem in the identified project site has been the reluctance of women to seek health care timely, to bring about a change in the behavior of women is important for us to organize awareness sessions and make the women realize the importance of being healthy and issues related to childbirth, nutrition, and care. Our team of social workers will visit the identified project villages and conduct awareness sessions.
Some of the topics on which awareness sessions will be conducted are as follows:-
Maternal Health
Nutrition
Pregnancy and care
Child Care
Early Diagnosis
Our International Architecture Partner
Build Health International (BHI)
100 Cummings Center #120B,
Beverly, Massachusetts 01915
United States of America,
www.buildhealthinternational.org
