Local women make global impact
Thu 26 June 2008
Andrea Dudley, Journalism
A group of Sunshine Coast women has made a significant contribution to the health and well-being of thousands of birthing mothers in developing countries.
Maroochy Zonta Club members recently assembled 1000 birthing kits for Sudan as part of the national Zonta Birthing Kit Project which started in South Australia in 2000.
Maroochy Zonta Club president, Petra Ladwig, said this was the third time the local women took part in such an event, which took 20 volunteers just three hours.
Dr Ladwig, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, said Australian birthing mothers were very fortunate compared to women in developing countries.
“Too many generations have passed since death and childbirth were connected in Australia,” Dr Ladwig said.
The United Nations has estimated about 585,000 women die annually in childbirth.
Ninety-nine per cent of these deaths occur in developing countries.
Dr Ladwig said the major causes of death in childbirth in third world countries were bleeding and infection.
“Many women are in remote regions and days or weeks walk away from a hospital,” Dr Ladwig said.
“They rely on traditional birthing attendants, or no assistance at all.”
The birthing kits helped provide clean birthing conditions and reduce infections, she said.
They consist of a 1m by 1m plastic sheet, a piece of soap, two gloves, three gauze squares, three cord ties and a sterile blade.
Each kit costs about 80 cents.
Zonta also funded the education and training of traditional birth attendants who use the kits, Dr Ladwig said.
Sunshine Coast University lecturer in nursing Tracey John said education was vital in making a difference to communities.
It was important that equipment was used safely and responsibly, she said.
Ms John worked for eight years as a midwife in Africa, the Balkans, Afghanistan, the Thai-Burma border and the Pacific region.
She managed public health programs focused on the reproductive health of women and worked with traditional birth attendants.
Access to skilled birth attendants was a major problem, Ms John said.
“By providing these birth kits, at least the physical resources of clean equipment can be available to birth attendants, therefore making the birth process safer for women,” she said.
“Women of reproductive age face many challenges in developing countries,” Ms John said.
Local mother Marcia de Bortolo said she was impressed Sunshine Coast women were making a worthwhile contribution to the health and well-being of so many women overseas.
The starkness of the birthing kits were a reminder of the privileges Australian birthing mothers enjoy, she said.
“To think that something so basic and simple can have such an impact,” Mrs de Bortolo said.
“It makes you realise how fortunate we are here in Australia and how much we take for granted.
“It's great that these local women are doing something so practical to help.”
A total of 400,000 birthing kits have been assembled by Zonta Clubs in Australia and distributed to countries such as Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Vietnam and Tibet.
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