ETH 16 - CARING: HARO WATO CLINIC
Project Location
The mission of Haro Wato is located in the southern region of Ethiopia in the mountains of Urag and 600 km away from the capital, Addis Ababa. It is a rural and remote area connected only by dirt roads. The population lives on agriculture (mostly coffee, wheat, beans, horse beans and peas), trade and pastoralism.
The territory is still rather underdeveloped and very much in need of medical, educational and social assistance. Furthermore, the population often resorts to traditional practices and healers.
Project description
The health center of Haro Wato, continues to be one of the busiest centers in the area. Despite the growing number of health centers in the region, people choose to come to our clinic. One of the reasons may be that patients find in us people with experience, professionally prepared and ready to offer a holistic service with dignity and respect. Our center is open 24 hours a day with emergency service, with special attention to the childbirth.
These are the services that the health center offers:
- Daily outpatient examination, including laboratory and pharmacy tests. The health center offers 24-hour service to respond to all emergencies in the area.
- Every Friday program for patients with tuberculosis and leprosy
- Every Wednesday vaccinations for children under 5 years, prevention activities, malnutrition and growth control in children under 5 years.
- Every Thursday and Friday visit for pregnant women with special attention to their health and fetus situation, health education and preparation for childbirth.
The clinic is provided with an ultrasound machine, so as to allow for better care and more precise diagnosis of any problems that might arise during pregnancy and for timely intervention. 98% of pregnant women are anemic and suffer from lack of food and hygiene and are consequently followed with particular attention and care.
Unfortunately the mortality rate during birth - both maternal and infant - is still high. Therefore we try to provide them with vitamins, food and invite them to give birth at the clinic or in health centers and not at home, which is very risky. The particular attention given to women is part not only one of our own priorities as Comboni Missionary Sisters, but also for the government which pursues the goal of reducing childbirth mortality with a specific programme of activities called “Safe Motherhood”.
Thanks to this programme, prevention and treatment activities for pregnant women are completely free, but of course further financial resources are needed to cover all the costs. And this is the aim of this project: with your contribution and your collaboration we could achieve the essential objective of supporting the life of many young women and children, who are the future of society.
Objectives
- To promote a programme of safe maternity and infant care
- To reduce maternal and infant mortality
- To provide health education that leads to greater care for the health of mothers and newborns
Beneficiaries
Direct: 8,200 pregnant women and children
Indirect: 62,000 clinic patients, their families, society
Referent sister of the project: Sr. Marisa Zorzan
Project's costs