Overview

The Perinatal Care Project (PCP) was established in 2002, as a joint collaborative project between the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BADAS), Women and Children First (UK) and the UCL Centre for International Health and Development (UK), and is sponsored by the Big Lottery Fund.This project also funded by Welcome Trust from 2009.

Bangladesh has one of the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the world with an MMR of 320 per 100,000 live births and NMR of 37 per 1000 live births. More than 85% of deliveries occur at home assisted by untrained birth attendants. PCP is working towards MDGs 4 and 5 and aims to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in three project areas Bogra, Faridpur and Moulvibazar. It is working in eighteen Unions within 6 Upazilas; the total population covered is nearly 500,000, including 36,819 women of reproductive age.

PCP incorporates both development and research objectives.

The development objectives is to:

• Strengthen health services in the three districts.

The research objectives incorporate a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions.

• The impact of a community based participatory intervention of women’s groups on birth outcomes, maternal and child health
• The impact of training traditional birth attendants in resuscitation on birth asphyxia related outcomes, maternal and child health

 

Health Service Strengthening works to improve Perinatal health service delivery in terms of the availability, accessibility and quality of care at levels within the project areas, and to strengthen referral linkage.

To date 395 health workers, including Doctors, Nurses, FWAs, FWVs, SACMOs, MAs have been provided with training on essential mother and newborn care.

Community Mobilization through Women’s Groups aims to develop strategies for effective health promotion during pregnancy, delivery and the post-partum period. To date 810 women’s groups have been formed, each comprising 15-20 members. This strategy acknowledges that improvements in the health status of poor communities are strongly related to family and care taking practices, and that Interventions which empower groups are more effective and scalable than individually targeted health education programs. Women’s Groups have prioritized problems, which occur in women and babies. They have also identified strategies to tackle these such as creating an emergency fund, raising awareness in the community and arranging emergency transport.

Training for Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) aims to develop and evaluate sustainable, scalable and cost-effective strategies, to can prevent and manage birth asphyxia at the community level. TBAs are being trained in essential care of the mother and her newborn, to be able to recognise danger signs, and to refer to the appropriate health facility. Funding for the TBA trial was provided by Saving Newborn Lives (SNL). The results will provide the government with high quality evidence necessary to make an informed decision about the effectiveness of TBAs in delivering Perinatal care services.

We offer 3 different types of care. Choose the type of care that meets your needs.