Afro-medical Community Health and

Welfare Services (ACHWS)

Afro-medical Community Health and

Welfare Services (ACHWS) Mission: To promote quality health care and fight for a world where there is equal opportunity for all Vision: All Liberian women and children enjoy quality health care, welfare, growth and development Values: Accountability, Collaboration, Creativity, Piety Afro-Med works to reduce maternal and infant mortality, promote early childhood development, and provide social protection services. “We Showing God’s Love Through Service”

Afro-medical Community Health and

Welfare Services (ACHWS) The Ebola outbreak in Liberia was unprecedented and contributed to the breakdown of an already weak health care infrastructure. Many hospitals and clinics were closed. Those hospitals and clinic that were functional turned away feverish or vomiting patients for fear of Ebola. Anti-Natal Care was inaccessible. Pregnant women could not access Anti-Natal Care; health care centers that were opened refused admission of pregnant women. As the result, many pregnant women give birth at hospital compounds, in taxis cab, in homes, on the road to health facilities or with an unskilled birth attendant.

Afro-medical Community Health and

Welfare Services (ACHWS) ACHWS recorded 2 deaths of Tradition Mid-wives who give birth to affected pregnant women and the death of 4 pregnant women who died during child birth. A woman suffered fistula after being delivered by the Traditional Mid-Wife. Pregnant women were abandoned by their husbands and were constrained to do intensive manual labor to earn small cash to buy food. One pregnant girl age 17 said “because of the Ebola crisis, most of us are denied and abandoned by our man. We are not getting the required food to eat, we are suffering and the cost of food is very high”.

Afro-medical Community Health and

Welfare Services (ACHWS) With a small grant of 77K from USAID/Mercy Corps and a grant of 8K from AID(Africans in the Diaspora)13,814 people including 264 pregnant women in 32 communities in 2 counties in Liberia, are benefiting from Ebola prevention sensitization to sustain behavior change. Traditional Mid-wives have learned about Infection Prevention Control measures to prevent Ebola. ACHWS clinics were opened to the public during the Ebola crisis. Because the clinics remained opened, the MOH and partners provided 32K from its Primary Revitalization fund to 1 of the clinics to support operations and discount on treatment.

Afro-medical Community Health and

Welfare Services (ACHWS)

In post Ebola era Afro-Medical seeks funding to expand maternal and new born health programs in hard to reach rural communities by educating pregnant women about safe motherhood and safe delivery, continue free Anti-Natal Care services for pregnant women; upgrade existing 2 primary health facilities/clinics and staff capacity; equip 2 MCH (Maternal Child Health) clinics, provide a stimulating learning and play environment for young children ages 2-3 years in remote communities hardest hit by Ebola; provide psychosocial support to Ebola Orphans, support foster parents, improve adolescent sexual reproductive health & family planning programs.

Afro-medical Community Health and

Welfare Services (ACHWS) Needs /Gaps

•Ambulance for referral of pregnant women •Provide phones to pregnant groups to call during emergency Basic medical equipment and supplies •Laboratory (blood chemistry, microscope) •OB/GYN (Ultrasound, delivery set, autoclave) •Training and capacity building of staff

Mothers in the Big Belly clubs in Popo Beach received baby

kits

Ambulance for referral Basic medical equipment and supplies •Laboratory (blood chemistry, microscope) •OB/GYN (Ultrasound, delivery set, autoclave) •Training and capacity building of stafff

Adolescent pregnant women and girls members of Big Belly clubs – Popo

Beach New Kru Town slum community

Adolescent pregnant women and girls members of Big Belly clubs learn

about safe motherhood and safe delivery –Whein Town Rural Montserrado

Adolescent pregnant women and girls members of Big Belly clubs learning

to appreciate their pregnancy

ACHWS Supervisor teaching Satta Massalay the stage- to- stage development of her pregnancy during a monthly Mom’s club meeting at Blackgenna community- unfortunately 2 weeks later she was in labor went to a nearby clinic and was referred 3 hours later to a hospital that turned her away – she died in the vehicle in route to anther hospital. On the right is 2 of her 6 children made orphans.

Kids live with their grandmother

THANK YOU!!