Thursday, November 25, 2010

Midwifery exam, 1973

click to enlarge

I found this exam paper when going through an old file.
I read through the questions, and this is what I noticed:

  • Questions on breech presentation: diagnosis, ECV, indications for Caesarean section, and foetal risks associated with [vaginal] breech delivery.
  • A question on [vaginal] delivery of the second twin.
  • Questions on anaemia, fundus not equal to dates, varicose veins, onset of second stage, increasing parity, indications for forceps, polyhydramnios, placenta succenturiata, inversion of the uterus, and infants with sticky eyes, thrush, physiological jaundice, and cephalhaematoma.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Global Forum, Day 6

Spring roses in our garden
For the online discussion, click here.
Optimizing the roles of health workers to improve MDGs 4 and 5 discussion forum.

Today's question: Over the weekend we would like you to continue to discuss the question:
“If Traditional Birth Attendants are available, what practices or tasks should they undertake to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity?”

Friday, November 12, 2010

Global Forum, Day 5

For the online discussion, click here.
Optimizing the roles of health workers to improve MDGs 4 and 5 discussion forum.

Today's question:
“If Traditional Birth Attendants are available, what practices or tasks should they undertake to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity?”

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Global Forum, Day 4

For the online discussion, click here. The forum community is continuing to grow with 624 members from 86 countries!
Optimizing the roles of health workers to improve MDGs 4 and 5 discussion forum.

Today's question:
Today we will continue to discuss the role of the lay health workers. However, we would like you to elaborate more on the specific issues below:
- What wider social roles, such as promoting female empowerment, should lay health workers take on in communities?
- What approaches that have been used in different settings to motivate and retain lay health workers, to improve the quality of the services they deliver and to promote the delivery of high priority services for maternal and newborn health?

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Global Forum, Day 3

Optimizing the roles of health workers to improve MDGs 4 and 5 discussion forum

Today's question:
Community or lay health workers are health care providers who have no formal professional or paraprofessional tertiary education but are usually provided with job-related training.They can be involved in either paid or voluntary care. The term 'lay health worker' is therefore very broad in scope and includes, for example, village health workers, promotoras, treatment supporters and lay counsellors. Lay health workers may take on a wide range of different health-related tasks including giving help and advice about child health, child illnesses, pregnancy and medicine taking. In some studies, lay health workers also treat or refer people for particular health problems.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Global forum, Day 2

The forum leaders have written:
Today we continue to discuss Day 1's question on:
"What practices or tasks should be undertaken by health care providers other than medical doctors at the primary health care level to accelerate the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity?"


Monday, November 8, 2010

Reducing maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity at the primary health care level

Today's discussion topic in the Global Forum is:
What practices or tasks can be undertaken by health care providers other than medical doctors at the primary health care level to accelerate the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity?

My quick response is to ask the same question differently, placing the focus on the woman-baby unit, rather than the tasks:
What needs do mothers and babies have that can be addressed at the primary health care level by health care providers other than medical doctors, and how will the addressing of these needs accellerate the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity?

Monday, November 1, 2010

Global forum: optimising the effectiveness of Health Workers to achieve MDG's 4 and 5


The WHO Guidance Global Network invites you to join a NEW online discussion forum.
8-16 November 2010
The World Health Organisation and partners are developing global guidance on enhancing the effectiveness of different cadres of health workers through evidence-based practice to improve maternal and newborn health care.

Theme: Crossing professional boundaries to define what safe and effective practices can be delivered by different cadres of health workers at the primary and community level to improve maternal and newborn health.

Register: to participate and receive a daily discussion digest, click here.

Reminder
MDG 4: Child health
MDG 5: Maternal health
To review the eight UN Millennium Development Goals, click here.