St John International: Mother & Baby Zambia

Speakers

Dr Gillian Willmore, GCStJ, Chancellor of the Order of St John

George Woods, Chief Business Officer, St John Ambulance

Sylvia Chopamba, Mother & Baby Programme Officer, St John International

St John International is the supporting body for St John organsations which deliver first aid, healthcare and support services around the world. One of the many international St John projects is the newly launched Mother & Baby, Zambia programme which trains volunteers in topics such as: basic hygiene; planning for birth; danger signs during pregnancy; maintaining temperature in newborns; cord care; and post natal care needs and risks, to save thousands of maternal and newborn lives.

About: Mother & Baby, Zambia

Each year, 2.6 million children die before they are one month old. A further 200,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth. Most of these deaths can be easily prevented if the women know how to minimise their risks, and if infants and mothers get the right healthcare at the right time.

St John Zambia is training local people as St John volunteers in first aid and mother and child health. They make door-to-door visits to their neighbours, family and friends, where they help pregnant women develop a birth plan, teach them about danger signs and provide advice on what to do in an emergency. The volunteers also encourage antenatal and postnatal services early and regularly, and make health referrals to a nearby heath centre. St John actively involves husbands and partners, who learn how to support their spouses and children, for example jointly planning a safe birth and saving enough money for transportation to the clinic.

In addition, St John supports efforts of local health authorities and front-line workers with basic supplies, such as benches for pregnant women who sat on floors, scales to weigh pregnant women and newborns or blood pressure monitors. When there is no health centre close by, St John is helping the local health authorities in setting up makeshift clinics in tents or empty rooms to provide HIV testing, family planning, and checks for pregnant women, new mothers and babies.

Within the first six years of the programme, St John Zambia could reach more than 26,400 women and 10,500 men with life-saving maternal and infant health services. St John also targeted another 112,000 community members with health education on maternal and child health. Further support will enable St John Zambia to expand the programme into other parts of the country, and help pregnant women, new mothers and babies.

St John International

The International Secretariat of the Order – called St John International – is the supporting body for St John organisations which deliver first aid, healthcare and support services around the world.

St John promotes physical, mental and spiritual health and resilience in more than 35 countries, mostly in the Commonwealth. Each year, St John organisations train more than 2 million people in first aid and other healthcare activities. Worldwide, we treat over 1.2 million and reach more than 2.5 million beneficiaries with our services. At our core of our work are the 200,000 St John volunteers who give their own time, effort, and expertise to help others. They come from the local communities they are working in, and improve the lives of their own family, friends and neighbours through our services, while strengthening community resilience.