Providing access to prenatal screening to pregnant women in Amhara region in Ethiopia

Preterm birth is the leading cause of death for children under five and lack of prenatal screening in inaccessible regions of Ethiopia are a cause of concern. One in ten babies is born preterm and the number is rising. In 2019, World Vision, Ethiopia indulged HOPS Healthcare to design and deploy an innovative, fully equipped Health Bag that is integrated with medical devices such as blood pressure machine and ultrasound which equips health workers in remote areas to conduct proper Prenatal screening. Through Health Bags, health workers in Debremewi & Goshiye Health centers of Amhara region were able to provide quality Prenatal screening services to the women and referral and management of pregnancies at risk of Preterm birth. With real time monitoring, and remote consultation facility with designated obstetricians; 905 women got access to prenatal screening.

Business Challenge

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has many regions with poor transportation; these regions have inadequate number of health institutions, inefficient supply of medical supplies and primary healthcare facilities – WHO Report. The main health concerns of the region include maternal mortality, preterm births. One in ten babies is born preterm and the number is rising. To provide better prenatal services in Amhara region, World Vision, Ethiopia engaged HOPS Healthcare to develop and deploy ‘all in one’ health Bag integrated with medical devices like Ultra Sound and blood pressure machine for a complete prenatal healthcare screening.

Transformation

We customized Health Bags for conducting Prenatal health screening for two health centers in Debremewi & Goshiye HCs in Yilmana Densa, West Gojjam, Amhara region. The Health Bags included integrated medical devices such as Ultrasound, NIBP, Fetal Doppler, Pulse Oximeter, Digital Stethoscope, Urine Analyzer, Temperature Gun, Glucometer, Hb Analyzer, Neonatal BMI, Neonatal HR, Neonatal SpO2. With medical devices integrated, all the examination and investigations were linked and captured through ICT Platform that facilitates consultation with obstetrician for high risk pregnancies. This data is disseminated to government health authorities for targeted planning and to design need based health policies. The pregnant women who had no access to prenatal screening were able to get quality prenatal services close to their homes.

Impact Created

In a span of a year, 905 ultrasound screenings were done. The ICT platform enabled better referral management. The population health data collected in a year of the women in the region displayed the trends and patterns for the government to upgrade healthcare policies and programs. 354 women with lifestyle risk factors were identified, 106 with high risk, 50 overweight, and 40 with chronic deficiency. The success of the pilot project has led to its scaling up in other regions. For more details write to us on – info@hops.healthcare.