90% of TBA's in Ho do not use protective instruments

Ho, Feb.20, GNA - Ms Evelyn Dey, Executive Director of Community Development Forum (CODAF), a Ho based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) on Monday said about 90 per cent of untrained Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) within Ho Municipality did not use protective instruments in their operations.

Ms Dey addressing the opening session of a five-day training workshop for 40 TBA's drawn from 20 communities in the Adaklu-Anyigbe District, attributed the problem to lack of knowledge on the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

The workshop to enhance the capacity of TBA's towards preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission within the communities was sponsored by Action Medeor, a German medical organization. It was on the theme: "Protecting The Unborn Child From HIV Infection-Our Desire."

Ms Dey noted that although TBA's performed the complicated task of midwifery and delivery of about 70 per cent of babies within the communities, they were not accorded commensurate recognition and support.

She said with the high rate of HIV and Malaria infection among children, something should be done to save the country from becoming an aged society.

Ms Dey said CODAF was committed to ensure greater access to quality child delivery at affordable cost to women of childbearing age who did not have access to formal health facilities. She said this was to guarantee safe motherhood and reproductive health in the prevention of new mother-to-child HIV transmission in the society.

"We hope that as we build the capacity of TBA's to join the fight against HIV transmission we are protecting our window of hope from HIV infection," She added. Ms Dey announced that CODAF has instituted a package of basic delivery tools to the TBA's and Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) to pregnant women.

She pledged the renovation of five delivery centres in five communities on pilot basis to enable expectant mothers deliver in safe and hygienic environment.

Mrs Vera Gaitu, NGO Partner Desk Officer at the Ghana Health Service in Ho said NGOs had an important role to play in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

She called for collaboration between TBA's and the Midwifery Association in the country to exchange ideas, and urged TBA's to report complicated cases to the hospitals to save lives.