Maternity
Packs
Completed Maternity Packs ready to go to the Hospital
East Timor has
one of the highest
maternal and child
mortality rates
in the world –
830 mothers in every
100,000 live births
and 85 babies in
every 1,000 live
births. The Maternity
Packs project aims
to contribute to
a reduction in these
extremely high rates
by taking away one
of the reasons a
women doesn’t
go to a health facility
to give birth, which
is shame at not
having basic supplies
for either themselves
or their new baby.
Health facilities
give access to skilled
birth attendants,
who can intervene
when complications
such as haemorrhaging
occur. Many of the
birthing complications
are as a result
of the mother suffering
from conditions
such as malnutrition,
malaria and TB,
which are prevalent
in Timor-Leste.
Currently, only
10% of pregnant
women give birth
under skilled care.
With around 40%
of the population
living on less than
US55c per day, purchase
of birthing needs
is impossible. This
project is our endeavour
to encourage women
to give birth in
a health facility,
in safety and with
dignity.
A Maternity Pack,
to the value of
(Aus) $25, provides
a woman who gives
birth in either
Dili or Baucau hospital
with 2 cotton sarongs,
6 pairs of underpants,
washable sanitary
napkins, 1 baby
outfit, a towel,
6 cotton nappies
and baby soap, plus
literature promoting
breastfeeding and postnatal care for women and children in East Timor.
An offshoot of
this project is
that it is providing
much needed employment
for local women,
in the manufacture
of some of the Pack
items.
The
beginnings of Maternity
Packs June 2006
For further information
on this project,
please email maternitypacks@alolafoundation.org
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