Mamás del Río – Improving Maternal and Neonatal Health in Rural Areas of the Peruvian Amazon
Connectivity has expanded to some rural Amazon communities, and the Mamás del Río Program has taken advantage of this development to revolutionize the way that pregnant women, mothers, and newborns can access the health services they need. Equipped with a mobile application on their cell phones or tablets, community health workers in the program can record information on new pregnancies, expecting mothers, and newborns at risk or who need medical attention. The application also allows for keeping a record of pregnant women in order to facilitate their participation in prenatal checkups. This program is innovative because it utilizes Internet technology and coverage to connect women in isolated areas with health services. This enables the women to avoid long trips to access the basic care they need. The program also works with the communities to empower them and to effectively change health and hygiene habits.
Problematic
Maternal and infant mortality continues to be one of the main problems in Latin America and the Caribbean even though many of it causes of are preventable. In Peru, the Department of Loreto has had one of the highest levels of maternal and infant mortality in the country. This situation is even more serious in rural areas where access to quality care is limited and most women have to travel long distances to get to a health center. On the other hand, when they do go to health centers women can find themselves faced with practices that are not culturally appropriate for them. This can reinforce unfavorable attitudes and perceptions about medical care and prompt many women to give birth at home, where their newborns often do not receive the care that they require.
Solution
Mamás del Río is a training program for midwives and community health workers (selected via meetings in each community) who are trained in providing care during pregnancy and delivery, postpartum care, and care for newborns. The midwives and community health workers receive training to detect symptoms of health complications and are prepared to assist in deliveries in homes. The program includes home visits in which the community health workers use a mobile application to record information on each visit. In total, the workers make three prenatal and three postnatal visits. The application allows for keeping a record of pregnant women, assigning prenatal controls, and transforming community health workers into a nexus between communities and health centers. Educational posters and videos are used during the home visits, and pregnant women and mothers receive recommendations on care during pregnancy and for newborns.
Evaluation and Impact
This program operates in 80 communities in the districts of Nauta, Parinari, and Saquena in the Department of Loreto, Peru. Following an 18-month pilot program, initial results showed that the percentage of women who received prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy increased from 38 to 63 percent. In addition, the results showed reduced complications during delivery and a doubling of births in health facilities. The program resulted in an increase in the percentage of mothers requesting that the birth of their newborn be registered during the first 30 days of life. The project aims to expand to 100 communities in Loreto.