SAFE MOTHERHOOD ACTION GROUPS

SAFE MOTHERHOOD ACTION GROUPS

SMAGs TRAINING IN MWINILUNGA DISTRICT

Prepared by: Ernest K. KakomaSenior Health Promotion Officer

NWP/PHO1st November, 2012

Intercontinental Hotel - Lusaka

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.

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

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

Flow chart illustration

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),

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

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

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

SMAGs in action at Katuyola RHC during role plays

Training at Nyang’ombe RHC

Training at Nyang’ombe RHC

SMAGs at Nyang’ombe RHC

The end

Thanks for your

attention