Recorded presentation

Eleanor Levine, MPH, Strategic Planning, Pfizer Inc, 235 East 42nd Street, New York City, NY 10017, 2127335026, eleanor.j.levine@pfizer.com

Doctors of the World (DOW) conducted an intervention to strengthen maternal and child health (MCH) services for ethnic minorities in a remote mountainous district in one of the poorest northern provinces in Vietnam, where providing access to health care remains a significant challenge due to the geography of the area as well as differing cultural norms around healthcare amongst ethnic minorities. In Hang Kia commune, limited antenatal care and poor pregnancy outcomes were of particular concern. The population in Hang Kia is primarily Hmong, an ethnicity with few ties to traditional Vietnamese cultural norms, particularly in the area of healthcare. The Vietnamese government mandates that all births occur in healthcare facilities, however due to strong cultural traditions, the vast majority of Hmong births take place at home. Consequently, birth outcomes are poorer for the Hmong than for other similar populations. Recognizing that Hmong women were not going to deliver their babies at the Commune Health Station (CHS), DOW looked to activate and empower the community by recruiting a cadre of 14 Hmong woman volunteers trained to deliver critical antenatal care (ANC) messages to mothers and armed with clean delivery kits. Mothers in Hang Kia who participated in trainings were interviewed by DOW staff in October, 2002 and then again in August, 2003 to determine whether their behavior was changed after receiving training on ANC and using a clean delivery kit. In one year, DOW significantly increased the number of Hmong mothers reached with the training. The number of women going to the CHS for ANC increased from 25% in 2002 to 41% in 2003. The number of mothers receiving guidance from a woman volunteer also increased, from 60% to 91%. The total number of pregnancies in Hang Kia is relatively consistent from year-to-year. Women volunteers improved the reach of training and dissemination of the clean delivery kits from 2002 to 2003. In 2003, 32 mothers received clean delivery kits, up from 6 in 2002 – a more than five-fold increase. Twenty-eight of the 32 delivery kits were used, as reported by health workers who visited newborns after births.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, attendees will be able to

• Articulate need for cultural sensitivity in effectively changing behavior and improving health outcomes.
• Develop educational tools to encourage healthy behavior during pregnancy.
• Describe methods to empower disenfranchised groups to participate in the healthcare system.

Keywords: Maternal and Child Health, Behavior Modification

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation