Training sessions

Based on the results of the 2008 baseline survey, the Safe Birth in Cultural Safety initiative held several training sessions for government health staff, community health promoters, traditional midwives and apprentices as part of our interventions to support traditional birth culture in Xochis. The training sessions included:

Cultural sensitivity training

During our baseline survey we found that indigenous women were being encouraged and coerced to turn away from traditional practices into using hospitals and clinics, in a culturally insensitive environment. Only four out of 19 government health staffers interviewed for the baseline survey in Xochis and Tlacos had received intercultural training. We trained government health staff in Xochis to be more sensitive to indigenous practices and views.

Medical skills update

Most health workers in government health units in the region did not initially treat and then refer women to second level hospitals in case of postpartum bleeding. We trained them to better deal with birth emergencies as part of our intervention.

We also held a session on newborn revival for government health staff in Ometepec, headquarters for the Costa Chica health region in Guerrero state in 2009.

Alarm signs during pregnancy

The 2008 household survey showed very low levels of awareness about clinical alarm signs during pregnancy (66% of women in Xochis and Tlacos could only mention one sign and 20% none at all). In 2009 we held a workshop in Guadalupe Victoria on alarm signs during pregnancy for indigenous community health promoters.

Obstetric bleeding workshop

Postpartum haemorrhage is one of the two leading causes of maternal death in Guerrero. Most midwives said bleeding shortly after delivery was a major source of concern to them. In 2009, Alba Meneses, member of the CIET team, led a workshop on obstetric bleeding for indigenous community health promoters, who followed-up on mothers and their babies after birth, as part of our intervention.

Violence against women workshop

Our 2008 baseline survey revealed that 5% of all women in the region had suffered physical violence from family members while being pregnant. Some midwives said this was a common problem and a cause of obstetric complications. To discuss these findings and help our teams of traditional providers better deal with them, Dr. Leticia Marin, director of reproductive health in the region Costa Chica, led a workshop on violence against women for community health promoters, midwives and apprentices in Guadalupe Victoria in 2009.

To learn more about these workshops, visit our photo gallery on trainings for government health staff and community health promoters.