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New born baby in Yirgalem Hospital in Ethiopia. (VSOIreland)

Column 'I came face to face with the reality of childbirth in Ethiopia'

Every year, 25,000 women die in childbirth in Ethiopia, writes Donnacha Maguire, who says money alone will not stop women from dying, only people working together will do that.

BETWEEN LIFE AND death is how childbirth is often described in Ethiopia and across the African continent. Every year in Ethiopia, over 25,000 women lose their lives during childbirth and a further 400,000 have significant medical complications.

Ethiopia’s maternal mortality rate is 637 deaths per 100,000 live births. In Ireland, while the birth of a child is a nerve wracking experience for many families, the risk of death for mother or child isn’t as big a threat where the maternal mortality rate eight deaths per 100,000 live births.

Basic equipment and a smell that lingered

On a visit to Yirgalem Hospital last month to meet with VSO volunteer, Dr McCauley, I came face to face with the reality of childbirth in Ethiopia. The hospital lacked basic equipment that would be seen in even the smallest Irish hospital and a smell lingered throughout. As we were filming, an expectant mother delivered twins with complications. They needed to be brought to a larger hospital nearby and we were their only option.

When the babies stabilised at the larger hospital Dr McCauley informed us that they had been both born with HIV but added ‘at least they are alive’. Life is precious in Ethiopia and for a mother and twin babies to all survive childbirth is a major achievement.

The question now is –  how do we ensure that fewer women and babies die in childbirth? Financial aid alone cannot fix this. Just throwing money at this and other development issues doesn’t work.

Training and upskilling is key

VSO knows that the best and simplest way to reduce maternal and child mortality is to ensure that expectant mothers have the right support during pregnancy and at the moment of birth. As part of an agreement with the Ethiopian government, VSO has agreed to train over 8,635 midwives, 233 anaesthetists and obstetricians by 2020.

By sending volunteers such as Dr Mary McCauley or midwife Susan Davies-Jones to work with local Ethiopian health professionals, local capacity to deal with these issues can be hugely expanded. Because local capacity is built and the skills can be passed on, the solution is self-perpetuating.

Working in Yirgalem General Hospital, Mary McCauley is at the coalface. Her role is to ensure that local professionals have the skills needed to deliver babies safely and ensure that more mothers live.

She doesn’t seek to replace local Ethiopians but instead trains and mentors them to be better health professionals, adhering to best practice and sharing their skills and ideas with each other.

Seeing the reality of the situation, up close

‘Statistics are only numbers. To be here, it really brings it home’ said Dr McCauley.

‘Since we have done the training in our hospital, we have seen a reduction in the mortality rates of women and babies. Personally and professionally, it’s the best thing I have done so far,’ added Mary.

VSO is always looking for experienced health professionals to volunteer because as Mary puts it ‘the need is so great’. But VSO is looking at the bigger picture. It doesn’t just want to deal with maternal death rates in 2013 or 2014 but seeks to find a long term sustainable solution. That’s where the power of volunteers comes in. Money alone may not be able to stop women dying but people working together to build something bigger than themselves for the longer term can.

(Via YouTube/VSOIreland)

VSO is an international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty and its causes. It recruits experienced professional volunteers to share their skills, experiences and knowledge with local people in Africa, Asia and the Pacific to build resilience and capacity. Learn more about VSO by attending its next information event on the 27 July at 2pm in the Irish Aid Centre, O’Connell Street. Click here to register.

Column: In Ethiopia, ordinary Irish people doing extraordinary things in difficult circumstances>

9 striking photos from some of the worst crises of the past 40 years>

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    Mute Toon Army
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    Jul 21st 2018, 7:42 AM

    Well at least the gangs can read about what the gardai intelligence is and what they believe the gangs next steps will be. Maybe the Journal could also provide a map detailing where exactly the new check points will be?

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    Mute ParSim
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:01 AM

    @Toon Army: Do you think the gangs don’t know this already?

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    Mute DaisyMay
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    Jul 21st 2018, 6:45 AM

    The cost of policing these gangs must be extraordinary. We need to decriminalize drug users and slap a mandatory twenty years on drug sellers

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    Mute Nameless and shameless
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    Jul 21st 2018, 6:50 AM

    @DaisyMay: I know but these drug dealers had a rough up bringing and they won’t get the tender love and care they are entitled to in prison. With the right programmes they can become outstanding members of a community.

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    Mute DaisyMay
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    Jul 21st 2018, 6:55 AM

    @Nameless and shameless: maybe some hard labor and forced education might help

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    Mute john doe
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:14 AM

    @DaisyMay: how would your suggestion reduce the cost of policing these criminals? The only way to do that is legalisation and regulation.

    Decriminalisation would only reduce the cost of policing users, which in itself would also be worthwhile.

    For what it’s worth neither MDMA or ketamine are very harmful in their pure form. The problem is these gangsters cutting them with god knows what to increase their profits. Again regulation would solve that greatly reducing potential for harms to the public who use these drugs.

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    Mute Gareth Cooney
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    Jul 21st 2018, 10:14 AM

    @DaisyMay: How does that work? Legal to buy but illegal to sell?
    The cost of policing the scangers remains the same in face of drugs are legal to take then they become more in demand by 1.5 times.

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    Mute Ronan O' Grady
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    Jul 21st 2018, 1:20 PM

    @Nameless and shameless: thats absolutely hilarious

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Jul 21st 2018, 2:47 PM

    @Nameless and shameless: in that case execute them, problem solved

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    Mute Karl
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    Jul 22nd 2018, 11:30 AM

    @DaisyMay: how would that change anything other than increase their customer base?

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    Mute Joe Jackson
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    Jul 21st 2018, 8:22 AM

    Let them at it… Natural cull

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    Mute Noel_Random
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    Jul 21st 2018, 6:57 AM

    Oh my goodness. But is it a north Dublin or a south Dublin issue? I can’t quite tell from the document above. (Obviously, there’s no east or west in Dublin.)

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    Mute DaisyMay
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    Jul 21st 2018, 7:10 AM

    @Noel_Random: it’s a north Dublin issue. What an odd comment. Where would you say finglas, coolock and ballymun are?

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    Mute SC
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    Jul 21st 2018, 8:57 AM

    It seems like the Gardai know who all the criminals are. Why don’t they put them on trial? They’re harming their own community.

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    Mute john doe
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:18 AM

    @SC: put them on trial with no proof would be a waste of money. The gards seem like they know but They only report what they are told and it can be considerably wrong.

    People selling booze and taking bets in bookies are also potentially harming the community, should they go on trial too?

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    Mute Ronan O' Grady
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    Jul 21st 2018, 1:24 PM

    @SC: evidence and proof.. with the help of people to stand up in court and say ” it was him” hard thing to do…The Guards must be so frustrated… Their doing a great job while under resourced.

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    Mute Martin Lintzgy
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:27 AM

    Its such a pity that crimanls are not locked up. Inteead, Tthey are free to go about thier nefarious buisness. If they are ccaught, there is always the broken home sob story, (no doubt perpetuated on their own kids), so snowflake sentencing.
    Tthe me, the purpose locking up these lowlifes is not too punish then, not to edducate and rehabilitate them…
    It it to protect honest hard working people.

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    Mute matt curran
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    Jul 21st 2018, 11:48 AM

    Whats the big problem …just let them at it, one way to get rid of them….

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Jul 21st 2018, 11:39 AM

    Can’t the same laws used to tackle terrorism be used against the gangs mainly having them declared illegal organizations with membership carrying long prison sentences.

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Jul 21st 2018, 9:46 PM

    Conscription! dont do school/college..straight to the Army/Navy/Aer Corp. That would sort a few of them !

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    Mute Karl
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    Jul 22nd 2018, 11:32 AM

    @GerryCummins: yep, really looking forward to all those new criminals getting professional military training.

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    Mute Seamus Mac
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    Jul 22nd 2018, 1:36 PM

    These guys get the best police protection in the state. The amount of resources & overtime put into this is absolutely ridiculous.

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