Reaching Mothers in South Omo: Meet Almaz
Almaz Nagadi greets Amira in her small village with a big smile and warm handshake. Amira is pregnant and will be delivering her baby soon. 
“I lost my first baby,” Amira explains. “But I’ve learned many lessons from Almaz and this time I want to have a safe delivery at the health post.”
With Almaz’s help Amira has a much better chance of this happening.
Almaz is an AMREF trained community health worker.
Doiso’s hot, arid climate doesn’t stop her and her colleague from visiting over 1,500 homes, providing check ups and teaching basic but life-saving health care.
Many of Almaz’s patients are pregnant women like Amira.
Maternal Child Health in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia 673 of every 100,000 mothers die in pregnancy or childbirth – one of the highest maternal death rates in the world.
Often mothers and their newborns die because they can’t access the most basic health care services.
“Before AMREF came to South Omo more than 70% of Mothers delivered at home without any assistance,” explains AMREF’s South Omo program manager Tilahun Bezabih.
But in just two years AMREF trained health workers – like Almaz - have saved thousands of lives. The number of women delivering their babies in health centres has risen from 30 to 50 per cent.
Now you can see AMREF’s training at work – click on the video above and see Almaz visiting her patients in Doiso village, South Omo Ethiopia.
Read more about Almaz in the Spring 2010 Habari.
AMREF’s Maternal Health work in South Omo, Ethiopia
- AMREF has trained 207 community health workers in Souther Omo
- The number of women delivering their babies in health centres has risen by 20 per cent in just 2 years
- In one month AMREF’s 207 trained health workers reach 82,800 people
- AMREF has built and equipped 14 new health posts
Support AMREF’s training programs to improve health for mothers and newborns in South Omo and across Africa. Please donate to AMREF toady.
You can also make a special Mother’s Day donation to honour your mother a special woman in your life.
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