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HEDO: THE HIGHLAND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION
Traditional Midwives Training Courses
One of our ongoing projects is the training of traditional midwives. In the upland ethnic minority villages of Vietnam it is frequently not possible for expectant mothers to have their babies delivered at their local health clinic. In many places it is the local custom to have babies delivered at home, assisted by the traditional village ‘midwife’. Even when expectant mothers want to have their babies delivered at the clinic it may not be possible because the villages are many kilometres distant and transport is difficult.
In order to combat high rates of infant mortality the Highland Education Development Organisation has organised a series of training courses for these ‘traditional midwives’. Much of this training involves developing good practical skills in delivering babies safely at home, but they also encourage mothers to have their babies at their local clinic, where possible. The courses also include sex education, health and hygiene, and drug abuse education. Mainly as a result of the midwives training the infant mortality rate in these districts has been considerably reduced.
Over the past ten years MSAVLC has funded or part-funded a number of these training courses. The most recent:
Chi Lang (Lang Son Province) training course for 100 traditional midwives in May 2010
Muong Te (Dien Bien Province) training course for 100 traditional midwives in June 2009
Mai Chau (Hoa Binh Province) training course for 100 traditional midwives in March 2007
Kim Boi (Hoa Binh Province) training course for 100 traditional midwives in March 2005
Cau Loc (Lang Son Province) training course for 100 traditional midwives in February 2004
Sa Pa (Lao Cai Province) training course for 100 traditional midwives in February 2003.
