Our Sectors

Maternal and Child Health

MCNH

Pregnancy and the birth of a child are often occasions for great celebration, but for many women in the rural communities of developing countries it can be a dangerous experience. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1,000 women die each day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. However, a lack access to health services prevents these women from receiving the care they need.

That is why CHF works in remote rural areas where communities have limited access to healthcare services. CHF incorporates 50 years of experience in working with rural and remote communities to create an innovative, comprehensive and integrated approach to maternal and child health.

 

CHF's programs work to:

  • Reduce food insecurity and malnutrition. CHF’s unique focus on food security and nutrition addresses not only short-term food requirements but works to improve the long-term nutritional needs of infants, children, and pregnant and nursing mothers. CHF programming supports increased access to diverse and nutrient-rich foods while accompanied by training on food production, preparation and use, and enhanced feeding practices for infants and young children.
  • Increase access to maternal and reproductive health services. As healthcare services are often non-existent in rural communities, CHF focuses on increasing access to community-based health initiatives. CHF also increases community knowledge of available health care services and increases the capacity of women to participate in maternal health initiatives. CHF supports women to advocate for improved maternal and child health services within their communities and at government levels. By working with existing health systems (ex. enhanced trainings of traditional birth attendants), CHF strengthens the capacity of health personnel to deliver improved services at the community level.
  • Reduce the impacts of common diseases and infections that threaten mothers and children under the age of five. CHF offers programming that seeks to improve both the prevention and treatment of diseases that disproportionately affect mothers and young children – diseases such as like malaria, anemia, intestinal infections, diarrhea and HIV/AIDS. Immunization programs, distribution of bed nets, reproductive health services, disease treatment and education to raise awareness and promote behaviour change to help mothers prevent occurrence of these diseases and infections in their families are all part of CHF’s programming.

    CHF’s experience in maternal and child health is diverse and adapted to the specific local context in which it occurs. In many CHF projects, women’s home gardens are supported to improve nutrition and food security for women and children. Working at the household and community level, CHF programming often undertakes community participation and health education on basic health, hygiene, clean water and sanitation to reduce infection rates.

 

Examples of CHF’s Maternal and Child Health initiatives:

  • The Quy Chau projects in Vietnam (2003-2009) provided technical training, toolkits and support to village health workers for de-worming children under five, vaccination against common children’s diseases and anti-malaria prevention and treatment.
  • This Sustainable Livelihoods for the Ultra Poor (SLUP) project in Bangladesh (2006-2011) trained 126 traditional birth attendants to provide safe delivery in rural upazilas of the Chandpur district.
  • The Partnership for Food Security (PFS) project in Ethiopia (2005-2009) worked with the County Office of Health to strengthen their capacity to provide preventive health services in order to reduce child mortality and trained female health extension workers to provide health services.
  • CHF targets reproductive health of men, women, orphans and vulnerable children through HIV/AIDS programming in Kenya and Zimbabwe to reduce the disease burden faced by rural women and children. These programs support women’s knowledge and advocacy in developing appropriate reproductive health solutions.