Prenatal care is extremely important in the developing world

Even though prenatal care is emphasized in the US, imagine how important it is in the developing world, where malnutrition, HIV, infections, poor hygiene, and birth complications are rampant.

Having a clinical officer in the village of Rota, such as Vespa, pictured here is extremely important. She is able to follow the prenatal care of young women, like Ronda, in order to make sure everything is progressing well. Vespa can prescribe prenatal vitamins as well as measure a mother’s weight to make sure her nutrition is adequate. Often the clinic will give out food or other resources to ensure a safe birth for women. Vespa will also test for HIV and prescribe an antiviral course prior to birth in order to decrease HIV vertical transmission from mother to child. Much of what Vespa does is with the help of the dedicated community of health care workers, a volunteer group based in the villages that relays information on patients health back to the dispensary.

Thanks to your donation, mothers like Ronda can get the care they need. Thank you so much for helping support medical care for people like like Ronda; these donations make a significant difference!