MOBILIZATION AND INVOLVEMENT RURAL COMMUNITY IN IMPROVEMENT MATERNAL HEALTH (United Methodist Women –USA)

Project direct on mobilization and involvement of ethnic rural women and local governmental representatives in improvement of quality of reproductive and maternal health through clinical and community-based interventions to reduce maternal mortality, abortion, STI, HIV/AIDS. Community-based interventions include involvement of community self-help groups, youth, peer-to-peer educators in awareness raising, communities on legislations concerning to women’s rights, domestic violence, child marriage, National Action Plans and services which work in the country, impact domestic violence on pregnant women and risk on pregnancies, STI, HIV/AIDs, family planning, use nutrition’ during pregnancy. Clinical interventions include improvement of maternal health through training doctors and nurses on yearly revealed cases of domestic violence during pregnancy, using screening tools and including these tools in the package of 4 prenatal care visits.

Women’s Health Care

 

For the purpose to settle problems related with women's health care, in 1997 The Women's Center established the Health Care Center. The mission of the Health Care Center is to assist women, teenagers, students to solve problems concerning educational, medical, psychological, judicial and other everyday matters.
Furthermore, Women's Center is expected to help widows, refugees, victims of violence. Women Center is working according to the following scheme. A women which needs the help, calls or visits the Women Center. The coordinator is in charge of helping and rendering professional service to women in need. The coordinators type of assistance varies depending on a need of a women-visitor.

For example: if a visitor experiences illness, the coordinator directs her to PCP (Primary Care Physician) or Specialist. In many cases the Center will be able to provide special medical service, since the Center employees the following specialists: internist, gynecologist, podiatrist, venerologist and psychiatrist. During last two year, health care sector of the Women's Center works on problems: "Saving Future Generation from Iodine and Micronutrients Deficiency Disorders" and "Reveal Breast and Cervical Cancer".

We organize and conduct lectures in the radio-broadcasting, newspapers, deliver lectures for family planning doctors, obstetricians, pediatricians, in the Georgian State Medical Academy for post-diploma education. In order settle the breast cancer problem, Rotary International renders its assistance and cooperation to the Women's Center. The assistance consists of the donation of the Mamography and Colposcopy devices. The center has already established the educational program for school teachers called "Lifestyle Education".

Another program is "Training doctors and nurses to carry out epidemiological examination at schools and universities". These programs also will help in providing and creating new jobs for women teachers of high schools, doctors and nurses. In 1998, using resources of Women Center, a project "Epidemiological examination and training medical staff" was accomplished. During the project, 40 doctors and 40 nurses were re-trained and profilactic examinations were held in 32 schools of Tbilisi. Also, 30000 brochures were distributed on the following topics:

1. Pubertal period
    
2. Menstruate disorders and its symptoms vaginal health and infections.
    
3. B-hepatitis;
    
4. Eating for the good health (building a balanced diet); good health, good looks (skin, feet, nails, hair, eyes, mouth, teeth)
    
5. Drugs, drinking, smoking (why saying no is vital for your health)
    
6. The truth about sexual transmitted diseases.
    
7. Birth control; Pregnancy parenthood.
    
8. Tuberculosis
    
9. Thyroidal glass disorders and its symptoms
    
10. Hirsutism.

After the completion of the project, Women Center continues to send volunteers for prophilactic examinations in schools (one school each month). Also, Friday is an "Open door day" for teenagers where they get free consultations and treatment and Saturdays for women.

We are working with Rotary Club of Tbilisi and Ministry of Health of Georgia. The content of collaboration is to fights against poliomyelitis in Georgia, throughout the worldwide program of Rotary International - Polio Plus.

Women Center is working closely with the following organizations, which provide literature and medicaments: British Medical Association (London, UK), Health Education Authority (London, UK), Northeast Georgia Health System (Grainsville, USA), Department of Human Resources (Georgia, USA), Lanier Park Hospital (Georgia, USA), Tbilisi Maternity Hospital No. 1, Tbilisi State Medical Academy, Medical Diagnostical Center for Mothers and Children.

We also work on the problems of reproductive health We edit brochures on 5-top Abortion STD-Learn About Candida, Chlamydia, Trichomoniasis Contraception STD-Learn About Herpes STD-Learn About Syphilis and Gonorrhea.