Meet Mohammad, known locally as the ‘mother’s doctor’ for his care saving lives during labour. But it wasn’t always this way.
Traditionally, in nomadic Afar communities, only females can help a mother during pregnancy and childbirth. It is extremely taboo for a male to be involved.
Most mothers try to give birth at home, with the nearest health facility a few days – and sometimes even weeks – walk away.
Mohammad with a support worker checking a 6 month pregnant mother in her home.
In a far away community where as many as 30 mothers were dying in childbirth annually, health worker Mohammad broke the traditional taboo through a mix of compassion and determination. One day he heard about a mother in distress who was unable to walk because of her pregnancy. He listened carefully to the mother about how she felt her “back was breaking”. With patience, Mohammad eventually persuaded the mother to let him check her baby. Mohammad soon felt two heads in an extremely pregnant uterus. He rushed to the husband and begged him to take the mother to Barbara May Maternity Hospital, 5 hours’ drive away. Eventually the husband agreed.
Mohammad quickly climbed a hill to get phone reception and called the hospital, who dispatched the ambulance. The mother made it to hospital safely, where a fetal scan indeed showed two babies. The news spread rapidly through the region how Mohammad’s fingers were magic in detecting babies!
Mohammad is now the main health worker called all over the extent of a 150-kilometer-long valley region to provide antenatal care and be with mothers when they deliver.
Importantly, Mohammad’s breakthrough greatly helped the APDA primary health program to improve maternal health care, with more male health workers having the confidence to provide maternal services, more mothers agreeing to home antenatal care, and ultimately, more mothers and babies saved through timely referral to a hospital.
In the region where Mohammad works, an area solely supported through Barbara May Foundation, the maternal mortality has now fallen to only 3 maternal deaths in the last 7 years.
Training community health workers about safe birth and recognising when to refer a woman to hospital.
Checking a pregnant woman’s blood pressure.