Teaching about safer births

Tettenyumu is a traditional birth attendant in Ghana, but until recently she had no idea about basic hygiene. In Ghana 250 out of every 100,000 women die while giving birth, in rural areas the figure can be as high as 740 deaths.

Only 52% of births are supervised and these are almost exclusively by traditional birth attendants like Tettenyumu.

So it is vital these women are given all the training possible.

Course

Tettenyumu was lucky to get a three-month intensive training course on how to conduct safe deliveries, contraceptives methods and sexual and reproductive health.

The course was funded by the charity Plan and Tettenyumu says it has had dramatic results for her patients.

Before the training we never carried a childbirth kit with us, nor did we realise the importance of washing our hands while helping a mother to deliver. After all, the old family traditional birth attendants never did.

"I did not have any information on reproductive health, like antenatal or post-natal care, breastfeeding, hygiene issues or vaccination.

"A child was considered a blessing of God.

"If you lost some children you could always produce more. The damage to a woman's body was not part of the equation.

Hygiene

"As a community health worker, I had no idea how to handle miscarriages. I had no idea what to do if a couple were infertile or if any serious complications arose during birth.

"This training really opened my eyes.

"I now use gloves and detergents when I am delivering a baby.

"And I think the women also feel the difference. I feel they are much more confident about me now," she said.

Like most other traditional birth attendants Tettenyumu's skills were learnt watching her mother and other relatives delivering children.

Now as well as the traditional birth skills Tettenyumu is also able to educate mothers about personal hygiene, first aid, childcare, Aids and contraceptives.

And the confidence she has gained during her training is already having an impact on cutting the number of maternal deaths.

Lessons

Monica Effinah, a senior nurse explained: "Over the years maternal morbidity has reduced remarkably in Plan's programme areas, while child nutrition has also improved.

"Traditional birth attendants are delivering more babies than before and their role has developed."

The mothers are also learning the lessons of improved hygiene.

One of Tettenyumu's clients said: "She told me that I must keep the room clean before the baby arrived so that infection would not spread.

"She carried a kit with her at the time of delivery, which had soap for cleaning my baby as soon as it was born."