Maternal and Reproductive Health Project
Project Background
VERC and IDRF have a strong and longstanding partnership, having collaborated on a wide variety of successful projects dating back to 1989. Through our partnership, we have an excellent record of delivering effective development programs focused upon areas including community-led water and sanitation, health and hygiene promotion, emergency relief and rehabilitation, disaster preparedness, women’s empowerment, and maternal child health.
In May 2010, VERC-IDRF launched our current project, ‘Maternal and Reproductive Health, Bangladesh’. This project is a three-year, CIDA funded initiative striving to reduce maternal mortality and promote maternal health and community wellness by enabling holistic, sustainable community development. To this end, the project aims to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes through integrated community-based programming focused on medical, cultural, and social interventions, with all project activities collaboratively designed to address the particular maternal-child health challenges facing the population of 100 villages in two sub-districts of Chittagong District in Bangladesh.
Targeted Areas:
| Name of District | Name of Upazilas | Name of Unions |
|---|---|---|
| Chittagong | Sitakunda | Saidpur |
| Muradpur | ||
| Barabkunda | ||
| Mirsarai | Ichakhali | |
| Katachara | ||
| Mithanala |
Beneficiaries:
Direct:
| Pregnant and Post-natal Mothers | – 10,000 |
| Children under five years | – 20,000 |
| Adolescent Boys and Girls | – 20,000 |
| Married Couples | – 10,000 |
| Traditional Birthing Attendants | – 100 |
| Peer Educators/Community Catalysts | – 200 |
| Health Centre and Outreach Professionals | - 40 |
Population of the 100 villages within the targeted areas: 150,000
Project Activities:
|
• Establishment of two community based health centres offering
comprehensive health services for families, with a particular focus on
maternal and child health • Establishment of 18-21 satellite health clinics, serving upwards of 20,000 clients per year, facilitating expanded rural maternal-child health services • Training of Safe Birth Attendants (SBAs), and the establishment of at least 1 trained SBA offering support and services in each targeted village • Community peer educators and community catalysts selected and trained in health promotion and participatory education techniques regarding maternal child health • Community animation and organization, including the establishment of community education and empowerment groups, as well as governing community-level committees • Community based health promotion activities on mother and child health, integral infant-child development, family planning, and sexual and reproductive health • Leadership development among community women to enable gender empowerment around issues of reproductive, maternal, and child health • Environmental health promotion and development through improved cooking stoves, organic farming demonstration gardens, and the provision of safe water points and sanitary latrines • Information sharing and public engagement regarding maternal, reproductive, and child health in both Bangladesh and Canada |
