Mom and Baby Reached through Bolivian Red Cross-Canadian Red Cross MNCH Program
Credit: Berna Massiel Mendieta Lorío
The Canadian Red Cross initiatives for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) strive to mobilize communities and government health workers in rural, remote regions of the world where some of the world’s most dire circumstances for women and children exist. This is achieved by leveraging our extensive network of trained Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers. In partnership with ministries of health and our Red Cross/Crescent partners, and building on our unique roles as auxiliaries to government, we work to enhance national health plans and to provide a comprehensive, proven and integrated package of essential MNCH interventions and services, among them:
Access to Life Saving Treatments: Community based treatments for life threatening conditions and illnesses.
- Malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia: Community-based treatments for malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia through Integrated Community Case Management of childhood illnesses (ICCM)
- Post Partum Hemorrhage: misoprostol and Non-pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG) to increase a mother’s chance of survival until appropriate care is reached
- Newborn Care: prevention and treatment of neonatal infections through clean cord care and antibiotic treatments
- Essential vaccinations: through outreach clinics and community mobilization during national child health campaigns
Strengthened Communities: Strengthened capacities of communities to prevent and address disease.
- Community Education in MNCH promotion and preventative practices, including antenatal care, exclusive breastfeeding, kangaroo care, immunization promotion, nutrition for mothers and children, early identification of warning signs
- Health Education to increase awareness about safe sex, HIV, family planning, difficulties of early marriage and childbirth and birth spacing; provision of contraceptive methods
- Integrated water, sanitation and hygiene programming, including community capacity to maintain water sources and latrines
- Strengthened Community Health Committees
Strengthened Ministries of Health (MoH): Strengthened linkages between MoH facilities and remote communities.
- Extended reach of the MoH through trained Community Health Workers and Red Cross/Red Crescent volunteers
- Outreach clinics linked to MoH facilities
- Technical and management training for MoH staff
- Strengthened linkages between MoHs and Community Health Committees
- Strengthened referral and counter-referral systems