PATH strives to find “sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor health.” One of their areas of focus is Maternal and Child Health. Within this area of focus they have a program for supporting Safe Birth and Newborn Care, one such program is Clean Delivery Kits. This latter link takes you to a page with an incredible wealth of resources (in the right hand column), including a Basic Delivery Kit Guide. I am going to dig into that momentarily!
PATH has developed kits in Bangladesh, Egypt, and Nepal. Their kits contain soap, plastic sheet, string for umbilical cord, razor blade and picture intructions.
Here are some results:
Recently we quantified the positive impact of another delivery kit on women’s and children’s health in Tanzania. The study, conducted with funding from the United States Agency for International Development through PATH’s HealthTech program, involved more than 3,200 participants. Results suggest that women who used the kit were substantially less likely to develop genital tract infections. Their infants were substantially less likely to develop cord infections.
On manufacture and distribution:
In Egypt, we helped community health promoters develop a plan to use kits as an income-generating activity that would contribute to their health programs. In Nepal, we gave a local, woman-owned business a head start: the campaign we funded promoted the kit via wall paintings, advertisements, street dramas, and training for community health volunteers. Within one year, sales increased from 28,800 to 46,800 kits, contributing to the long-term stability of the company. Maternal and Child Health Products, Ltd, continues to make kits available to Nepali women at prices they can afford. Between 1994 and the end of 2005, they sold more than a million kits.
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