Voice 1 Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid. Voice 2 And I'm Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3 "Just improving health services will not be enough. Communities need to know what they can achieve by themselves." Voice 1 These words are from Dr. Prasanta Tripathy. He is a doctor in India. With his wife (Dr Nirmala Nair) , Dr. Tripathy established the group Ekjut. This group supports projects that encourage development in the poorest areas of India. Dr. Tripathy has observed the great need for improved health services in areas like these.
Voice 2 Lack of health care is especially common in extremely poor areas. And it affects the whole community. Many people know of the bad results that come when women especially do not have good health care. In many parts of the world, women's health is linked to the health and success of a family. Mothers who have poor health have families who also suffer.
Voice 1 Women especially need health care when they are pregnant. Pregnant women need care before the baby is born. This is called prenatal care. This care includes advice about the best foods to eat for the developing baby, or activities to avoid while pregnant. Sometimes things can go wrong in a pregnancy. A woman may start to bleed for no reason. Or she may have increased swelling - her hands, feet, or face increase in size. Prenatal care can help catch these problems before they become too severe.
Voice 2 Pregnant women often also need care during and after labor, when the baby is being born. That is because there are things that can go wrong during labor, like a very long labor. Or, the baby may be born with problems. These situations can be dangerous for the mother and the baby. This leads to a high rate of death for mothers and babies in these areas. But many times, mothers may simply not know they are experiencing problems. They may not know what pregnancy sign is normal, and what one is dangerous.
Voice 1 These are big problems - for women, and their communities. And this is one of the things Dr Tripathy's group, Ekjut works to solve. Ekjut worked with the University College London's Institute of Child Health. Together they set out to find a simple solution for this complex problem. They wanted to try and prevent problems for mothers and babies, not just treat them. The groups began by working with some of the poorest communities in India.
Voice 2 Jharkhand and Orissa are states in India. Villages in these areas are far from cities. They are very poor. And they have high rates of death for babies. The rates are higher than India's national average. A few villages in these areas took part in the study. The study was called "The Ekjut Trials." Voice 1 There was already an established network of women's groups in these areas. Groups usually included about ten to fifteen women. They met often to discuss business issues. The Ekjut Trial asked the women to change their meetings for the trial. Ekjut asked the women to invite all people to their meetings. Then, they would use their time to talk about health topics and babies.
Voice 2 A similar trial took place in Nepal. Another organization called MIRA* led a women's group in this area. They asked community leaders to help choose women to lead the groups. The group leaders received training and pay.
Voice 1 The groups of women in the Ekjut trial met together about once a month. A woman leader guided their talk and activity. During a meeting, the group leader began by asking about a problem in the local community. Together the women identified problems women might have in pregnancy, child birth, or in caring for new born babies.
Voice 2 As the women talked about these problems, they shared experiences and advice. They talked about solutions to the problems. The groups used different methods to talk about the problems and solutions. These included looking at picture cards, playing games, and acting out situations. They went through the actions they would take if a woman was having a very long labor, or if she needed to be taken quickly to the hospital.
Voice 1 The Ekjut Trial lasted three years, from 2005 to 2008. And the results were very encouraging. After only a year, the rates of death for babies were lower. And by the end of the trial, deaths of newborn babies had dropped by almost half ! The number of mothers with moderate depression also dropped.
Voice 2 Just talking with other women showed great results. Sebati Thakur attended some of these meetings in Orissa. She attended with her husband's mother. Sebati had already lost one baby from a serious infection. And she was pregnant again. During the meetings she learned important methods for caring for herself and her unborn baby. She talked to reporter Hillary Brenhouse about what she learned: to get prenatal care, take iron vitamins, and get a tetanus shot. In 2009, Sebati gave birth to a healthy daughter.
Voice 1 Many new parents may not know how to take care of a new born baby. Sometimes, they do not trust themselves. But these groups also gave mothers confidence in their actions. They learned how to take care of the baby. In a short video produced by Ekjut, a woman tells about the positive results she has seen from the trials.
Voice 4 "In one village a women had been in the meetings. So when it was time for her delivery, and the baby was born, she immediately gave the baby her breast milk. They had talked about doing exactly this in the meetings. So, she knew she was doing the right thing. When I see women acting so confidently it makes me feel very nice." Voice 2 Official support for the groups in the Ekjut trials ended in 2008. But many of the groups continue to meet. Nitima Lamay is a women's group leader. She knows the groups will continue to do well in the future. She says: Voice 5 "Earlier, the women did not have much information. But now the women have become aware. They can solve their problems. So, even if the leaders are not there, the women would continue. I really believe this and it makes me feel very good." Voice 1 Providing health care to the people who need it is important. But communities should also know how much they can help each other. Community meetings like this cannot - and should not - replace professional health care. But, simple groups can make a big difference by talking to each other, sharing experiences, and supporting each other. This is a good method for saving the lives of mothers, babies, and the people in their communities.
Voice 2 The writer and producer of this program was Liz Waid. The voices you heard were from the United States. All quotes have been adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. Computer users can hear our programs, read our scripts, and see our word list on our website athttp://www.radio.english.net. This program is called "Mothers Who Talk." Voice 1 Email us at radio @ english . net. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!
(*This program originally said that Ekjut started the groups in Nepal. The groups in Nepal were started by the organization "Mother and Infant Research Activities," or MIRA. The groups were led by Dr. Dharma Manander)
