KangGURU
and AusAID
in Indonesia
September 2001
 |
Safe
Motherhood Project |
In Indonesia, thousands of women die each year because of complications
in pregnancy and childbirth. Most women still prefer to deliver
their baby at home with a traditional birth attendant (dukun bayi
or dukun bersalin) who is not well equipped to handle any serious
problems that may arise. Traditional birth attendants are not able
to detect and treat life-threatening problems in pregnancy
or during the delivery of the newborn.
 |
A “honai”
local house in the highlands of Irian Jaya. The community
built this one behind the local health centre so that
women would have a place to deliver their babies that
was more comfortable, yet meets hygiene needs. |
|
All over the world, fifteen percent of all pregnant women will
experience a potentially life threatening complication during their
pregnancy or during the delivery. All women should have a skilled
birth attendant at the delivery, and be prepared for transfer to
a health centre (Puskesmas) or hospital should a problem arise.
The majority of complications that cause death - haemorrhage,
high blood pressure, and infection - can be prevented or treated,
if a skilled health worker is available to manage or refer the situation
to the nearest Puskemas or hospital as necessary.
| AusAID is providing funding ($13 million) to
the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Indonesia for
a safe motherhood program to reduce the impacts of the political
and economic crisis on women and children in West Java and Irian
Jaya. The program started in 1998 and has been extended until
June 2003. |
 |
The program is being implemented in parts of the two provinces:
9 districts in West Java, and 5 districts in Irian Jaya. Local UNICEF
teams are working with the local Planning Boards (Bappeda) in each
province and district. Each Bappeda is the seat of a Maternal and
Child Survival, Development, and Protection Committee (or KHPPIA:
Kelangsungan Hidup, Perkembangan dan Perlindungan Ibu dan Anak)
which coordinates activities between several ministries and government
offices, including Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ministry
of Education and Culture, and local government, among others. Besides
safe motherhood, the program is also helping to revitalise posyandu,
and encourage people to adopt good caring practices in maintaining
the health and nutrition of their children as well as maternal health. |
 |
High rates of maternal mortality, poor quality and coverage of safe
motherhood services (like antenatal care and attendance at births) are
the main issues addressed by the program. The key is to have a properly
trained person present at the delivery who can either manage the complication
or who can recognise the need to transfer the woman to a health care facility
that has proper staff and equipment. This is the main area being addressed
by the UNICEF Safe Motherhood Program: improving the skills of health
staff to recognise and manage complications in pregnancy and childbirth,
and improving the capacity of mothers, their husbands and families, and
communities to use health services, and be prepared for complications.
For more information on safe motherhood programs, you can contact
your local Dinas Kesehatan, or UNICEF.
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