Peer-reviewed research* was published last year asserts that trusted Community Health Workers (CHWs) that come from the communities they serve are very effective at improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.  The study*, conducted in rural Kenya went on to say that women from rural villages that have a trained CHW are more likely to have a skilled attendant at their births, increasing the likelihood of survival of both mother and child.

*Adam MB, Dillmann M, Chen M-k, Mbugua S, Ndung’u J, et al. (2014) Improving Maternal and Newborn Health: Effectiveness of a Community Health Worker Program in Rural Kenya. PLoS ONE 9(8): e104027. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0104027

The Spanish version of this book, “Where There Is No Doctor” (Donde No Hay Doctor) is given to each of Tia’s Promotores upon graduation.  The Hesperian Foundation developed the contents in the 1970s in the mountains of Mexico and now publishes this lifesaving guide in over 80 languages.  A practical health ‘bible’, educational tool and resource for our health workers, we cannot sing the praises of this book or our invaluable field partner, Hesperian.  We are grateful that they make this straightforward and accessible book very, very affordable for nonprofits, Peace Corp Workers, volunteers, and missionaries.  Thank you Hesperian!

This week we are launching a project in the Nahuatl villages in the municipality of Cuautitlan de Garcia Barragan.  During our last visit, we snapped this shot of a mother and her daughter in one of these villages.  We hope to train 20-30 new Promotoras here who will each serve up to 500 people.  The indigenous people live in the high country, making it difficult to get access to health care and other important resources to them.  Roads are difficult and treacherous.and bridges are often too narrow for an ambulance to pass.  Our brigade from UAG’s Programa de Medicina en la Comunidad leaves before the sun rises Monday morning.