An innovative community-based maternal health delivery strategy (MOM—mobile obstetric medics) implemented among internally displaced ethnic communities in eastern Burma was associated with substantially improved access to a range of essential maternal health services, such as a ten fold increase in the proportion of women in delivery attended to by health staff trained to provide emergency care. The outcomes of this programme are discussed in a paper by Luke Mullany from the Center of Public Health and Human Rights, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA, and colleagues in this week's issue of PLoS Medicine.
Between October and December 2008, 2,500 ever-married women of reproductive age were interviewed about their access to antenatal and postnatal care, skilled birth attendants and family planning after the MOM project had been introduced and the results compared to a pre-project baseline survey. 72% of women received antenatal care after the MOM project had been implemented compared to 40% of women surveyed at baseline. Postnatal visits within 7 days doubled and modern contraception use increased from 24% to 45%. Furthermore, the MOM project established a pool of skilled workers and a community-based network which could offer a broader and more comprehensive package of services in the future.
The authors conclude: "The MOM project's focus on task shifting, capacity building, and empowerment at the community level might serve as a model approach in similar constrained settings."
Funding: The MOM Project was funded by grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Foundation for the People of Burma. Additional funds for the final survey were provided by a gift to the Centre for Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins from Dr. Edward Mills. The funders played no role in the preparing of the manuscript or the decision to publish.
Competing Interests: Chris Beyrer is on the Editorial Board of PLoS Medicine.
Citation: Mullany LC, Lee TJ, Yone L, Lee CI, Teela KC, et al. (2010) Impact of Community-Based Maternal Health Workers on Coverage of Essential Maternal Health Interventions among Internally Displaced Communities in Eastern Burma: The MOM Project. PLoS Med 7(8): e1000317. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000317
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CONTACT:
Luke Mullany
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Department of International Health
615 N Wolfe Street, W5009C
Baltimore, MD 21205
United States of America
410-502-2626
lmullany@jhsph.edu
Journal
PLoS Medicine