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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Guatemalan Communities Get Engaged to Improve Maternal SurvivalNew Research Shows Maternal Health Program Increased Emergency PreparationBALTIMORE — Guatemalan women, their partners, and their communities are now better prepared to deal with complications during pregnancy and childbirth because of an innovative maternal health program that improved their knowledge of danger signs, such as severe bleeding during delivery, and their readiness for maternal emergencies. According to a new report from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (CCP), the Guatemalan maternal health program results demonstrate significant improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and practices among both men and women exposed to the program. For example, women exposed to the program were significantly more likely to have a plan in place for emergency situations and to give birth in a health care facility. Guatemala has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in Latin America. The Maternal and Neonatal Health Program (MNH) — implemented by JHPIEGO, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, and CCP — worked with the Guatemalan Ministry of Health and Public Assistance (MOH) to help women, their families, and their communities recognize obstetrical emergencies and take appropriate action. The major causes of maternal death in Guatemala are preventable and include hemorrhage, infection, and hypertension. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supports the MNH Program through its Guatemala-Central American Program. Mobilizing for Impact: Engaging Guatemalan Communities to Save Mothers (Spanish PDF) details the program's activities as well as its key results. One of the activities involved developing "Emergency Plans" with families and communities to help make timely decisions to seek medical care in the event of an obstetrical or neonatal emergency. Materials developed for the program illustrated emergency situations, such as hemorrhaging, and steps for seeking care. Other significant impact findings include:
With representatives in more than 30 countries, Johns Hopkins' CCP is a pioneer in the field of strategic, research-based communication programs for behavior change and health promotion that have helped transform the theory and practice of public health communication. This issue of Mobilizing for Impact is available online at http://www.jhuccp.org/pubs/cp/mobilizing/Mobilizing_eng.pdf or by contacting orders@jhuccp.org. |
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