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In many rural areas women rely on traditional birth attendants to help them give birth,
and these helpers sometimes employ dangerous techniques which are rooted in superstition.
Most Nepalese in the rural areas are subsistence farmers and often cannot afford the costs
of professional health facilities or even the expense of travelling to the clinic.
Money is borrowed from money lenders and fear of debt means that mothers tend to give birth
at home. However this situation is changing thanks
to Nepal's support to Safe Motherhood Programme funded by DFID, which contributes over 40%
of the government of Nepal's Safe Motherhood Programme's costs.
The initiative has helped to dramatically cut maternal deaths.
In Rudraphur, in the west of Nepal, Ardesh was orphaned during childbirth.
His mother died because she did not have any support during childbirth.
She could not get to the health post quickly enough.
After her death a women's group in the area started campaigning to upgrade the health
post, to offer free delivery services and have a 24 hour maternal health cover.
As a result of campaigning and the support of the Safe Motherhood Programme, the group
now manages 20 births a month and has free 24 hour care in a facility that the community
needs because it is 40 kilometers from here to the nearest hospital.
Nitu Periyar, chairwomen of the mothers group says, "It was all our own will that made this
happen. Women have driven this forward 100%, if we had left it to the men it would have
taken a lot longer."
Hira Chaudhri explains, "Three years ago we didn't have the confidence, resources or technical
support to provide good health services, now we do and we have successfully delivered a
rising number of babies, each year, without any deaths.
Previously there were about five deaths a year.
The most important thing is to work together as a community and take ownership of the facility.
With DFID's funding, the Safe Motherhood Programme now provides free 24 hour delivery services
at many health centres. Moreover expectant mothers receive $7-20 to
give birth at health centres to cover travel to the clinic, while nurses receive a financial
incentive of $3 for each delivery. Khima Paudel, a nurse, is using this extra
money to fund additional training for herself. In addition, the programme will train 5000
skilled birth attendants by 2015, contribute to constructing and upgrading health centres
and building emergency care centres and offer family planning services.
DFID funded Support to Safe Motherhood Programme has contributed to reduce maternal deaths
in and around childbirth and is part of the overall commitment by the UK government to
the people of Nepal.
To find out more about how the UK government is helping in Nepal visit: www.dfid.gov.uk/nepal
Contribute to our maternal health consultation at: www.dfid.gov.uk/choiceforwomen
UKaid from the Department for International Development