The Second Delay: Accessing Care
One of the biggest obstacles facing those women who would otherwise choose to deliver their babies in health centers is lack of transportation. Most people do not own a car or a motorcycle, and a majority live greater than 5 km from a health center (an hour by foot). Can you imagine trying to walk an hour on foot when you were pregnant, and in labor? While public transportation (a car taxi or large 4X4 ambulance from the district hospital) could be an option, patients are required to pay exorbitant amounts of money, sometimes up to 6 months income, for the fuel, not to mention that taxis come by rural areas only sporadically, if at all. This makes traditional transportation options largely inaccessible to rural women.
To address these problems, SAFE works with community groups to develop motorcycle ambulance programs for emergency maternal and child referral, promotes community and family savings projects, and works to establish maternity services in far-reaching rural locations. For more information on these projects, follow the links below:
