Hi Margaret,
I fully agree with Denise that the high mortality rates are more to do
with nutrition than practices by traditional midwives.
Sue Kildea has actually got some programs together for Aboriginal women
in NT, who suffer from the same high mortality and morbidity rates as
other malnourished impoverished women around the world.
Her work is fascinating.
Google CRANA (remote nurses group) and then put in Kildea in the search
place.
Alternatively search Maningrida which is a remote Aboriginal community
where Sue and the Indigenous women have created a website talking about
education etc to assist women in childbirth.
Good luck with your work - wish I was free to join you for a while,
Sue Cookson
Dear Margaret
I respond as one who spent time in PNG in the 1980's as a midwifery
tutor where I actually learnt more from the village/traditional
culture of birth there than here
until I became involved with Homebirth women and midwives!!
As in other countries including Australia in the past, I suspect a
large proportion of the higher maternal and neonatal mortality rate in
Timor is more a reflection of the poor state of the nutrition, housing
and sanition of the people than their birthing practices.
For example where I was in PNG most women had hookworm, malaria with
enlarged spleen and other diseases we do not!
Haemoglobin in PNG was rarely more than 6!!
But the women who were not western educated knew their bodies gave
birth and nutured their babies
Thus the traditional women taught me alot about how to labour, birth
and breast feed babies
But the western educated would be good patients and therefore have
many similar problems as our women for example get on the beds and
need drugs, forceps etc!
I understand now the Safe Motherhood programs and similar efforts
concentrate teaching hygeine to traditional birth attendants and
otherwise re-inforcing their knowledge of active birth abilities I
understand there are web sites for this and similar teaching programs
for TBAs?
Denise Hynd
"Let us support one another, not just in philosophy but in action, for
the sake of freedom for all women to choose exactly how and by whom,
if by anyone, our bodies will be handled."
— Linda Hes
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Margaret Aggar <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*To:* [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
*Sent:* Sunday, June 19, 2005 12:34 PM
*Subject:* [ozmidwifery] Midwifery in East Timor
Dear All,
I am a Midwife and Childbirth Educator working on the Central
Coast of NSW. I went to East Timor in May, after hearing that
their mortality rate is 100 times that of Australia! Only 10% of
the women birth with a trained professional present. Many birth
alone, or with an untrained relative or friend. There are village
women who assist with births in the remote villages. One village I
visited was a 9 hour bus trip from Dili (just 180 kms away).
I have been asked to provide some training for these women in the
remote villages so that they are able to better care for these
women and reduce the poor outcomes, and to be able to recognise
problems during the pregnancy so that they can be moved into Dili
before birth.
I am working on a training package at present, which will need to
be translated into Tetum. The training will take place at a Clinic
in Dili where there are about 60 births / month. I also need to
become more fluent in their language - Tetum. I will return to
East Timor either later this year, or early next year.
This is a voluntary venture, and the training will be provided
free of charge for the village women, with accomodation included.
I will be looking for sponsorship for this as well as resources
for these women to use in their villages at the completion of the
training. It is anticipated that this will be on-going, with maybe
two trips / year to check and see how they are going and provide
more training. There are 5 women interested in the training at
present.
If there is anyone who may have an interest in assisting with this
training, or assisting in some way, or would like to know more,
please contact me via email.
Regards,
Margaret
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