Monday, November 16, 2009 – Friday, November 20, 2009
Women in many parts of the world do not have access to basic information and care during childbirth, leading to 500,000 maternal deaths a year worldwide. This week, in conjunction with our Twitter Social Enterprise of the Day feature, we have highlighted five organizations across the world, that are making prenatal and maternity care affordable and accessible to women at the Bottom of the Pyramid.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Social Enterprise of the Day – NDLOVU Care Group
Operating in rural South Africa since 1994, the NDLOVU Care Group focuses on Community Healthcare and Community Development Programs. Apart from providing affordable 24-hour antenatal services with a staff of two midwives and four enrolled nurses and an ambulance facility, NDLOVU is also making pioneering steps in preventing mother to child transmission of HIV during childbirth. Their extensive prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program aims to reduce the HIV transmission from mother to child to less than 1%.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Social Enterprise of the Day – Family Care International
For over 20 years Family Care International has worked towards improving maternity health in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The organization’s programming includes educating girls and women on how to prevent unintended pregnancies; awareness sessions on sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people and other underserved groups; and outreach to educate about the spread of HIV. FCI works with governments, non-governmental organizations, professional groups, and international agencies to make pregnancy and childbirth safer around the world.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Social Enterprise of the Day – Life Spring Hospitals
Quality maternity care is most often inaccessible and unaffordable to women of lower income groups in India, leading to ill health of mother and child. While public hospital services are free, they often compromise quality, transparency, efficiency, and attitude towards the customers. Life Spring Hospitals aims to bridge this gap by providing high quality private maternity care to women of lower income groups through their innovative solutions for women and babies. The Life Spring model is a market based one of small hospitals. By utilizing a cross-subsidy model of tiered pricing, Life Spring can charge low prices for the general ward, which makes up 70% of each hospital.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Social Enterprise of the Day – Donna Gibb Maternity Clinic
Providing maternity care in Atasomanso, a suburb of Komasi, Ghana, the Donna Gibb Maternity Clinic is proud to serve everyone who enters. Aimed at providing affordable care to the poorest of poor expectant mothers, the Donna Gibb Clinic provides free treatment to those who simply can’t afford it. The clinic is currently quite small, with only five beds; nevertheless, they are providing an invaluable service to the community’s women. They plan to have a new hospital up and running soon.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Social Enterprise of the Day – Maternova
An innovative portal connecting maternal health workers across the globe, Maternova is tracking innovations in the space that will help save lives that are lost during pregnancy and childbearing in the developing world. Catering to the need for knowledge sharing, Maternova is a place where cross-fertilization of ideas, contacts and practical knowledge on age-old problems occurs at 21st century levels of efficiency and speed. From news and event updates to innovations like motorbike ambulances and hand-carried ultrasound machines , Maternova is a comprehensive knowledge sharing platform that will help save millions of lives.
