The project is taking place in the Gamo-Gofa area in the Southern Nations and Nationalities Region. This area has a population of about 2, 6 million, and has nine hospitals and health centres.
-Together with the Ministry of Health we have now strengthened the capacity of 10 Health Officers, enabling them to perform caesareans. Four more of them are in the process of receiving further education. Our goal is to give this training for 20 Health Officers altogether during a 2-year project period, says Dr. Lindtjørn.
Health Officers have completed 12th grade and four years bachelors degree. Through the programme, they get additional skills, and their institutions are equipped for safe delivery of children, including autoclaves for sterilizing their tools.
-The total cost of each equipment package is approximately 30.000 NOK. We also follow up closely the Health Officers who have undergone our training, give them professional support and replace any kind of equipment that has been damaged. We have managed to improve the functions of seven of the nine institutions in the area so far, adds Dr. Lindtjørn.
Another component in the project is the utilization of health extension workers to establish birth registers that can be utilized for gathering information about number of births, maternal deaths as well as child-deaths within 28 days after birth (neonatal deaths). Health Extension workers have completed a 10th grade education, have a one-year training, and are each responsible for following up five hundred families.
-The overall objective is to provide good antenatal care, improve delivery services, and to reduce maternal deaths. Experience shows that increased access to health care will increase utilization of the services, concludes Dr. Lindtjørn.