Nasima's story - Afghanistan

Nasima married a year ago, when she was 19, and went to live with her husband’s family. When she became pregnant, she wanted antenatal care but her village is far from the nearest health center. She then heard that a midwife made visits to a village in neighbouring Charkent District to provide antenatal care and birth planning for pregnant women. This outreach antenatal care is made possible through HealthProm's maternal and child health project operating in Charkent district.

Nasima and her husband contacted people in that village to find out when the midwife visited, and from then on they went there for antenatal visits throughout her pregnancy. On their last visit, they made a birth plan with the midwife for Nasima to deliver in the main health center in Charkent. When she went into labour, her husband called the project’s co-ordinator, who advised him to find a vehicle from their village and the project would pay half the cost. The midwife directed them to the project’s waiting house just next to the health centre. The midwife came to check progress every two hours, including twice during the night. The next day, when the birth was imminent, Nasima was transferred to the health center and gave birth to a baby girl. She was given a baby blanket, hat and clothes provided by the project to prevent newborn hypothermia, and after a few hours the baby was immunised.

After returning home, Nasima went for postnatal care. Nasima now encourages pregnant women from her village to accompany her for their own antenatal care.  Now, when the midwife is due to visit, pregnant women from Nasima’s village go to a midpoint and wait for her to stop and do antenatal care checks along her way.