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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Maria Luz Perez, MA, Ruben Tellez, MA, and Luis Tam, MD, DrPH. Project 2000, CARE Peru, Apartado Postal 11-0628, Lima, Lima 11, Peru, 51-1-4317430, perezm@carepe.org.pe
Rural Peru has one of the highest perinatal and maternal mortality in the Americas. Approximately 75% rural pregnant women have at least one contact with health facilities during their pregnancies (prenatal care) but for different reasons, only 25% of them use facilities for their births. This situation increases maternal and perinatal mortality due asphyxia, hemorrhage and infection, the major reported causes of maternal and perinatal deaths. CARE Peru (as part of the USAID-funded Project 2000) has developed and pilot tested several methods and tools to be used by health facility personnel in its efforts to increase institutional births. They include: an exit survey to assess client satisfaction (post partum and post prenatal care), a time sheet to measure waiting time, a protocol for inter-personal communication, a guide to adapt the health facility's procedures to the cultural expectations of their clients, a community map to locate and track pregnant women, a birth plan and a protocol for home visits. These tools and methods promote team work in the facility, are easy to understand and apply, are of low-cost application, allow the continuos measurement the staff's efforts and don't overload them with additional tasks. Their 12-month application in 30 large health centers and medium hospitals in 12 (out of 24) departments of Peru show a significant increase in institutional births (from 24% to almost 60%) and an enhancement of client satisfaction (as compared with baseline data). These tools will be applied nationwide by the Health Promotion Division of the Ministry of Health.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Health Promotion, Maternal Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: CARE Peru
Ministry of Health of Peru
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I work for CARE Peru since 2000.