In a country with the world’s second highest maternal mortality rate, health professionals are partnering with religious leaders to distribute condoms and promote spacing births. Afghanistan has one of the world’s highest fertility rates, averaging more than six babies per woman. The maternal death rate in Afghanistan is 1,800 per 100,000 live births; in the U.S. it’s 11 per 100,000 births.
The study–conducted by U.S.-based nonprofit Management Sciences for Health–involved 3,700 families in three rural areas with different ethnic groups. The Health Ministry collaborated with nonprofit organizations to educate people about birth control. Mullahs quoted from the Quran to promote breast-feeding for two years and explained the importance of spacing out births to give women and babies better health outcomes. The mullahs’ message–along with condoms–was often delivered during Friday prayers.
According to the report published Monday in the World Health Organization’s journal, Bulletin, use of the pill, condoms and injected forms of birth control rose to 27 percent over eight months once the benefits were explained one-on-one by health workers. “The fastest, cheapest, easiest way to reduce maternal deaths in Afghanistan is with contraception,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Douglas Huber. I hope this approach catches on in other parts of Afghanistan (and around the world).
I love that this is happening, so much. That article mentions mosques making condoms available at evening prayers. Even though the assumption is that they will only be used by married couples, I think that’s pretty revolutionary.
Islam: 1, Catholicism: 0
I hope they’re also encouraging the men to not have children with their teenage brides. (Encouraging them not to have sex with teenagers at all would be ideal, of course, but I suspect that’s not on the table.) One of the biggest contributors to maternal mortality is when the mother is in her early-mid teens.
This is brilliant. It’s this kind of program that used to make people abroad respect this country, ad I’m very gratified to see us doing good work again. Now maybe they can bring the program to another country where there are obstacles to family planning-the US.
I wonder how exactly this is done. Do the health care workers get access to the women themselves or do they go through the men?
I suspect they are going thru the men, but if the men are listening that’s even better. Less likely to be an issue in a household if the man thinks the idea is his, and it will still have the good outcome of giving those ladies (and new babies) a rest.
Really now, why can’t Catholics catch on to this wonderful concept? Babies: good. Babies that are brought into a home that wants them/can care for them/are ready for them: even better.
From what I gather, they do go directly to the women to explain different birth control methods, and they involve the men as well.
Ocean-Breeze, you’re right-getting the men involved means they’re more likely to buy in. I guess you have to work with the culture you’ve got, and this is definitely a win for the women.
excellent topics in the last two days, between news from India and Afghanistan