On 15-18 May there was held the training “Childbirth with Dignity” as a part of joint project of the Other Space Foundation (Poland-based), Women’s Association for Rational Development (WARD) and Optimed Medical Clinic. The training was conducted by experts from Poland for representatives of healthcare and media in Azerbaijan. (20-MAY-07)

Written by Shahla Ismailova /HRH Baku on the basis of materials from the Other Space Foundation and WARD

The project, funded by Polish-American Foundation of Liberty and Foundation “Education for Democracy”, was aimed at reducing the rates of maternal and infant mortality in Azerbaijan.

Maternal and infant mortality in Azerbaijan
According to the UNICEF report, Azerbaijan is on the first place among the countries of Europe on the worst indices of infant and maternal mortality. The rate of infant mortality among the babies under the age of 1 is 74 children per 1000 in Azerbaijan and according to the data from the Ministry of Healthcare of Azerbaijan Republic for 2006, the rate on maternal mortality is 34,25 per 100 000 live-births.

It should be noted that the information unofficially received from the Institutions of Republican subordination located in Baku city have the records, several times exceeding the above figures.

Project objectives 
The project is directed towards the situation when:

• Every pregnant woman feels the object of the birth care system and has access to it;
• Women realize their rights and claim for their observance;
• Healthcare system respects and takes into account the needs of women and their families;
• Babies are born in friendly environment;
• Parents can rely on support in creative and deep experience of motherhood and fatherhood;
• Hospitals report about their work and publish their results;
• Medical practice is based on the results of scientific research studies;
• Recommendations of World Health Organization are taken into account in the practice of
   maternity hospitals.

Research and Report
Prior to the training, the project aimed at conducting the research on the situation in the area of childbirth, the results of which were reflected in the published Report. The researches aimed at:

– Revealing the level of observance of patients’ rights and awareness of patients’ rights among
  the patients and medical personal of maternal hospitals and maternal departments;
– Describing the existing legislative basis and its factual observance, existing obligations to the  
  international organizations and their factual fulfillment in local conditions;
– Analyzing the activity of mass media, NGO-s and international organizations: their involvement
  and implemented activity for improving the situation of women and obstetrical system.

Training
WARD-polish-1The training was conducted by high-profile Polish experts, working in the sphere of
A) media and communication:
– Piotr Pacewicz (newspaper Viborcha)
– Pawel Prochenko (Foundation of Information and Communication)
– Witold Hebanowski  (Other Space Foundation)
B) Healthcare:
– Annabella Otffinowska (Foundation “Rodzić po ludzku “)
– Anna Jankowska-Zdral (Foundation “Rodzić po ludzku “)
– Malgorzata Kaminska (the largest Maternity Hospital in Poland)