Community Health, Afghanistan

Description Giving mums and babies a greater chance of survival. For several years, TEAR has been funding three of our partners in Afghanistan to deliver the Birth Life Saving Skills (BLiSS) program. A health education program that trains community members in basic life-saving skills related to pregnancy, birth and newborn care. Simple things, like ensuring a safe, clean birthing space or identifying risks in pregnancy that enable women to get access to medical care earlier, make an enormous difference. How your gift helps The birth of a baby is meant to be a time of joy and excitement, but for many women living in Afghanistan it's a time of great uncertainty and risk. Although it has improved dramatically over the past five years, maternal mortality rates remain high. Women here are 65 times more at risk of dying in childbirth than women in Australia. They usually give birth in their homes, often in remote areas. In the lead-up to the birth, only 19% of women have access to a trained