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Home » Where We Work » Pakistan » Pakistan: Improving Women’s Health Pakistan: Improving Women’s Health
The problem is most acute for those women living in remote, mountainous regions, where the nearest health clinic is several hours away. To help tackle this problem, Islamic Relief is training local women to be community-based health workers who provide essential maternal and child healthcare in their villages. This is not only saving lives but is helping women to become empowered within their communities. Rangeela’s rounds 32-year-old Rangeela Bibi lives with her six children in Athmuqam in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. She lost her husband a few years ago and is now supporting her family by herself. She received healthcare training from Islamic Relief and has been a health worker for the last four years. Rangeela lost her father when she was only three years old and believes that the subsequent poverty her family faced made her want to help her community and become a health worker. Intensive training After receiving six months of basic healthcare training from Islamic Relief, Rangeela went on to undertake further training in maternal and child healthcare, primary healthcare and health management. Early every morning she arrives at the local clinic and spends most of the day treating and counseling female patients. She provides them with advice regarding family planning, explains different treatment options and offers essential pre-natal care. Each afternoon after working at the clinic, Rangeela makes door-to-door visits and holds community health education sessions. She provides general healthcare to all patients but focuses on maternal and child healthcare. Providing advice “My door to door visits involve advising and examining pregnant mothers and new mothers,” she explained. “I tell them about the value of good nutrition and I provide them with pre-natal care. Often I ask them to visit the health center during the first two trimesters and I will visit them at home during the third trimester.” “One of my objectives during these visits is to ensure the mother and her children are vaccinated. People did not know about or carry out vaccinations before Islamic Relief trained the community-based health workers. We [community-based health workers] are all very proud that we have managed to increase the numbers of people who have had a tetanus vaccination.” Raheema’s story In Pakistan only around 36 percent of pregnant women receive pre-natal care and only around 31 percent have a skilled birth attendant present during labor. This can lead to many complications and can even be fatal for both mother and child. Rangeela told us the story of Raheema, whose four previous pregnancies had ended in miscarriages. “I followed the progress of Raheema’s previous pregnancies and provided her with pre-natal care when I found out that she was pregnant again,” she said. “While examining her, I found out that the baby was in the breech position. I knew that this can lead to complications and can put the lives of the mother and baby at risk,” she explained. “First I told her to ensure that she had skilled help during labor. At first she was reluctant to listen to what I was saying, but she was very dear to me so I kept trying.” “Eventually I persuaded her to go with me to Muzaffarabad a few days before her expected due date. Here she delivered her baby by caesarean section because she was having a difficult and prolonged labor. I believe I may have played a small part in saving Raheema’s life,” she said. “I live in an area where all people, but especially women are deprived of basic healthcare,” Rangeela said. “Over the years I have seen gradual improvements but there is still a long way to go. Hopefully one day quality healthcare will flourish in this area.” |
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