Agness Mseteka: Maternity Waiting Home Caretaker and Protector of Pregnant Women in Rural Zambia.
Julie M BuserBrenda MoyoPublished in: Annals of global health (2021)
To share her story, we interviewed Agness Mseteka about her experience as a maternity waiting home (MWH) caretaker at the district hospital in rural Lundazi, Zambia. Maternity waiting homes, also known as mother's shelters, are structures built near healthcare facilities to minimize the critical barrier of distance to accessing maternal health services. Agness' story highlights the central role caretakers play in contributing to the successful implementation and sustainability of MWH interventions. Agness is well positioned to be an agent of positive change by bringing health education to pregnant women. An important lesson learned from Agness' story is the need for future research to explore the sustainability of MWHs and long-term effectiveness of income generating activities by the community after the completion of externally funded implementing programs.
Keyphrases
- healthcare
- pregnant women
- south africa
- pregnancy outcomes
- physical activity
- mental health
- public health
- randomized controlled trial
- quality improvement
- systematic review
- current status
- high resolution
- health information
- primary care
- birth weight
- life cycle
- emergency department
- climate change
- weight gain
- affordable care act