For women and babies in and around refugee camps in Somalia, childbirth can be really risky. Facilities and money for health services are sparse. Emergency transport like this ambulance from Health Poverty Action is helping to make childbirth safer in Hargeisa.
New ambulance brings hope
This ambulance at Hargeisa Group Hospital provides emergency transport to women during childbirth emergencies. It is enabling women from poor communities to get emergency obstetric care at the hospital and cut the number of deaths.
Improving health centres
Better health centres are making a big difference to the quality of care for patients. We have refurbished maternity wards and toilet blocks, fixing mosquito nets to windows and constructing rainwater catchment systems. We have even installed solar power so that visitors can watch health education videos while they wait!
Challenging misconceptions
Videos can challenge common misconceptions about health in interesting ways. Some of the commonly held beliefs in nearby refugee camps can have worrying implications, for example, that condoms are laced with the HIV virus, and that modern family planning methods might lead to infertility.
Last modified: 12/01/2011
