SAFE MOTHERHOOD ACTION GROUPS

1. SAFE MOTHERHOOD ACTION GROUPS SMAGs TRAINING IN MWINILUNGA DISTRICT Prepared by: Ernest K. Kakoma Senior Health Promotion Officer NWP/PHO 1st November, 2012 Intercontinental Hotel - Lusaka

2. PROCESS • Supported by Zambia Integrated Systems Strengthening Program (ZISSP) • Facilitators: American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) • ACNM trained Master Trainers, who trained District Trainers. • District Trainers capacity building community members/groups as key players. • Aim: • To institutionalise SMAG as a strategy to improve mothers’ and newborn lives.

3. TRAINING OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS • Done in two phases; • 1st 2RHCs; Nyang’ombe and Lumwana West, • 2nd phase; Kanyihampa and Katuyola. • Pre-assessment (Baseline) prior to training • Observations: • HMIS does not include some data captured by the SMAG leaders at community level (eg referrals from the community), • Long distances from Community to RHC, • Lack of transport, etc

4. FOCUS • Focuses on Home Based Life Saving Skills (HBLSS) methodology- • Urgent referral • Give 1st Line care enroute to HF • Broadens responsibility in emergencies to rest of the community • Emphasises TAKING ACTION at all levels during referral • Stimulates problem-solving • Provides hope that things can change • Learning approach: uses pictures, role plays, content repeated multiple times in multiple ways (see, hear and do) to enhance retention • Uses community meetings approach

5. Flow chart illustration

6. Materials shared • Participants received a set of training manuals: • Take action card booklet (Community), • Large picture cards (laminated) (Community), • Pregnant woman and New born registers with pictures (Community), • Reporting forms (Community), • Basic information booklet (Trainers), • Safe motherhood training manual booklet (Trainers), • Baby information booklet (Trainers), • Facilitators guide (Trainers), and • Woman Information booklet (Trainers),

7. Results • 82 SMAGs trained both males and females; Nyang’ombe (20), Lumwana West (20), Kanyihampa (20) and Katuyola (22). • Methodology used enhances knowledge retention, participation and reflective learning (eg use of story telling, etc). • Use of picture cards during teaching was very helpful as some participants could not read and write (illiterate). • Marked improvement by participants from Pre-test to post test

8. Conclusion • Mobilising communities is very expensive (?). • Due to inadequate resources (human and financial), communities empowerment with skills and knowledge is one solution to reduce MMR. • Methodology used make learning a life time experience. • Recommend that the same be replicated in all the communities. • Health Care Providers need to oriented. • Thanks to ZISSP, and ACNM, for taking a step

9. Phase II: SMAGs Master trainers: Central, Copperbelt, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Western Provinces

10. SMAGs in action at Katuyola RHC during role plays

11. Training at Nyang’ombe RHC

12. Training at Nyang’ombe RHC

13. SMAGs at Nyang’ombe RHC

15. The end Thanks for your attention