WUNRN
BOLIVIA - MATERNAL CARE FOR
HARDEST-TO-REACH RURAL WOMEN
By: Rati Bishnoi - February 28, 2011
Photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/interplast/3567697432/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Nearly a decade after
being launched, a program that sends mobile health units down some of
Although
But it’s not just the
geographical differences that contribute to
In an effort to bring
services to those women who can’t or won’t visit hospitals, a small team of
doctors, registered nurses, drivers, and educators reach more than 100,000
Bolivians, many of who are young women and girls in need of maternal and
reproductive health care. Reaching these patients means driving across rocky
and unpaved roads, mountainous cliffs, and flooded valleys for 36 weeks per year—all while carrying critical
medical supplies and equipment, such as a stretcher, oxygen tank, intravenous
kits, pocket-sized ultrasound machines, and medications.
Although many people
initially visited the mobile health units to receive general medical care,
across the years more women have started seeking sexual and reproductive health
care. Most of the services the units provide are Pap smears, pelvic
examinations, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive
services, and prenatal screenings. Recognizing that the mobile health units
cannot address all medical needs, CIES works closely with the Ministry of Health to refer
high-risk cases, such as pregnancy related complications, to public
medical health centers.
In addition to the
proximity, indigenous women and girls continue to seek care at the mobile
health units because they face fewer cultural barriers than conventional
medical clinics. Every staff member speaks the Guarani language—the most
commonly spoken language in
Getting frequent care
and becoming better educated about reproductive health is having an impact.
According to one local health promoter, the regular arrival of mobile health
units is leading to greater use of family planning methods and families
choosing to have fewer children.