Creating ‘no missed opportunities’ for pregnant women requires accessibility to information, preventive services and curative care. And, it is only when we reach every pregnant woman with the support and services they need that we achieve our aim. TIPTOP is going the extra mile to reach every eligible pregnant woman to protect her from malaria as well as ensure a healthy pregnancy that results in better maternal and newborn health.
Community health workers across TIPTOP countries are identifying pregnant women going household to household to give eligible pregnant women IPTp and refer them to ANC. This sounds simple, but when you consider the long distances and inaccessible roads due to heavy rains or flooding it can and does become complicated quickly. CHWs know they are the first connection for the pregnant woman to receive counseling on a malaria free pregnancy and are doing what they can to give the woman what she needs to protect herself and her unborn baby. These efforts are reinforced when facility-level health workers reach the CHW to provide support and mentorship, often facing the same long and difficult road conditions.
With support from TIPTOP, they find a way because they know that until we reach all pregnant women, our job is not done.
|