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  • Title: [Preventive maternal care saves lives in Guinea-Bissau].
    Author: Larsson M.
    Journal: Vardfacket; 1984 Nov 29; 8(21):15-7. PubMed ID: 6570928.
    Abstract:
    2 health care projects in Guinea-Bissau give evidence of the efforts of that nation to increase its infant survival rate. The experiences of a 4 week visit to Bianga and the accomplishments of a maternal health care project in Bandim are summarized. Infant mortality has remained high in Guinea-Bissau (211/1000) despite the efforts of the government, whose top priority is rural development in a land where most of the 1,000,000 inhabitants are peasant farmers, and 90% are illiterate. In Bianga, where 6 years earlier another midwife had reported a reduction in infant mortality, the health care station was underutilized and staffed by poorly-trained personnel. Distribution of chloroquine (used against malaria) and periodic vaccination campaigns were the primary features of medical activity. In contrast, the Bandim project (named after a suburb or barrio of Bissau) has had some notable achievements since its inception in 1978. The 8000 inhabitants living in 600 houses of the project area were divided into 8 zones, with 2 health workers for each zone. Their task was to check on women in the 8th or 9th month of their pregnancy and pay them home visits after delivery. The visitors also participated in these rounds and observed Swedish and Danish medical students in their work of counselling pregnant women. Vaccination of children occurs in 1 of the zones every month, and children under 5 are weighed every 3 months to assess their development. The results of the project in decreasing infant mortality will be applied in the city of Bissau at a later date.
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