Thanks to the support received by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), we accompany women at all stages of pregnancy so that they can have a safe delivery and all the care they need
“I will give birth at the local hospital,” Ameena said. “At first I did not agree with the idea of going to the hospital, I would have preferred to give birth at home. But now I realise that giving birth at home can be very dangerous and unsafe.” Ameena is one of the many women that INTERSOS and PUI (Premiere Urgence Internationale) are helping through the birth cash assistance programme (BCA) as part of the Global Affairs Canada (GAC)-funded project that aims to aid vulnerable communities by working to improve access to protection services and gender-inclusive reproductive health in North Lebanon. According to UNICEF, the number of women dying from pregnancy-related complications in Lebanon has almost tripled in the last three years.
The project supports more than 7,000 vulnerable people in the Tripoli and Akkar areas. Through this programme, we aim to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights services through an integrated approach for women, girls, men, and boys. One of the main activities of the midwives is the promotion of medical consultations on sexual and reproductive health, as well as the identification of any person at risk (including sexual violence). In addition, we support pregnant women financially to enable them to give birth in hospital, thus minimising health risks for the mother and newborn child and reducing maternal mortality. Exactly as we did with Ameena.
The story of Ameena
Ameena is a Syrian refugee woman living in one of the informal settlements (ITS) in Tal Abbas, near Halba (Akkar). She has worked in agriculture all her life, on a farm. She is the mother of six children and has had five miscarriages in the past, as well as being a survivor of domestic violence. One of the midwives from our partner association, PUI, first met Ameena at one of the primary health care centres supported in Akkar. “When I met Ameena she was afraid to tell me her story. I clearly explained to her the risks of giving birth in an unsafe and unprepared place, for her and for the baby, especially when the midwife attending the birth is not qualified. I explained to her that it is possible to run into legal problems when registering the baby. And I explained to her the advantages of giving birth in a hospital, in a safe and well-equipped place, surrounded by specialists who care for her and her baby and provide her with all available services. I am happy to see that she was able to make the right decision for herself and that she is now thinking of giving birth at the affiliated hospital,” said the midwife.
At the time, the woman was in her first month of pregnancy. The midwife offered her counselling and training on various topics (antenatal care, malnutrition, good hygiene and health practices, pregnancy complications, family planning, contraceptive methods, post-natal care, breastfeeding, and sexually transmitted infections). Our midwives accompany all pregnant women enrolled in the programme during the various essential medical activities needed to ensure a healthy pregnancy and safe birthing conditions for all of them. We provide all women with pregnancy education, promote awareness of sexual and reproductive health needs, and most importantly, access to reproductive health services, especially midwife visits. Given the woman’s social and medical conditions, this assistance will help Ameena cover any extra costs associated with childbirth, as well as costs related to the safety of the hospital birth.
Helping women survivors of gender-based violence
In addition to ensuring safe deliveries, our social workers create and maintain trusting relationships with the women we help. Like Faiza, who later revealed that she was a survivor of gender-based violence. Faiza agreed to be referred to INTERSOS, which took over her case, offered her psychological support, and will accompany her on the path to recovery. Her children will be placed in the care of specialised child protection partners, and Faiza will receive emergency financial assistance to pay her rent and be able to move on.
The integrated approach of this project allows us to aid many more women, girls, men, and boys going through similar experiences, to continue to respond to the needs of vulnerable communities in the governorates of Akkar and Tripoli in terms of health, sexual and reproductive rights, and gender-based violence, and to strengthen the resilience processes of the communities we help.