Childhealth Advocacy International (CAI)

Prize Finalist 2008

Organisation name

Childhealth Advocacy International (CAI)
http://www.caiuk.org/

Testimonial

Being shortlisted endorses CAI's approach to reducing alarmingly high maternal and child mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. It demonstrates that capacity building can lead to improved emergency care. Also, it acknowledges that through the dedication of volunteers, staff and in-country partners, replicable and sustainable healthcare for women, babies and children is achievable.

Financial resources

USD$652,284

Geographical focus

Global, but mainly sub-Saharan Africa

Issue Focus

Maternal, neonatal and child emergency healthcare, HIV/AIDS, cancer in children in Africa and poverty alleviation through improved healthcare.

Key achievements

The introduction of the ESS EMCH (Essential Surgical Skills and Emergency Maternal and Child Healthcare), now called EMNCH (Emergency Maternal, Neonatal and Child Healthcare) programme into Pakistan and The Gambia in partnership with WHO and the Pakistani and Gambian governments.

302 doctors and nurses from Pakistan. 217 doctors, nurses and midwives and 83 Traditional Birth Attendants from The Gambia have been trained.
Analysis (through log book data) shows 90% survival rates amongst patients, mothers, babies and children resuscitated using skills acquired during training
Free teaching materials to help local doctors and nurses provide the highest possible standard of care with limited resources in their local hospitals.

Mission

Childhealth Advocacy International (CAI) is an international, UK-based maternal and child healthcare charity dedicated to saving the lives of pregnant women, babies and children in countries where there is poor healthcare. Their volunteer senior doctors, midwives and nurses work with, support and train local health workers. CAI works in, and advocates for hospitals and the community, integrating their work to improve and achieve sustainable healthcare. The healthcare skills and knowledge they develop through the project are kept in country. Some healthcare workers on the courses are selected to do further training enabling them to become accredited instructors themselves.

CAI's main healthcare project EMNCH (Emergency Maternal, Neonatal and Child Healthcare) combines training, advocacy and infrastructure improvements to establish systems of essential emergency care from the community to hospital.

Background

CAI is a UK-based charity, set up in 1995. Currently projects include:

EMNCH
HIV/AIDS orphans outreach/home-based care in Uganda;
The prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in Cameroon;
The treatment of children who have the childhood cancer - Burkitt's Lymphoma in Cameroon.

EMNCH involves helping governments to support health workers in effectively managing emergencies in the community, health center and hospital. This includes advocacy work with the government and health ministry to ensure that there is ward renovation where required and the continuous provision of essential drugs and medical supplies. Most childbirth in The Gambia and Pakistan occurs at home, and most mothers experiencing emergencies at home never reach the hospital, as there is no public ambulance. This problem is addressed with the provision of an emergency ambulance system called the 'Flying Squad'. At Brikama major health centre in The Gambia this consists of two specially trained midwives and a driver who are on-call with an equipped ambulance to resuscitate and stabilize mothers, infants and children at home.

Management

CAI has the following framework: a board of Trustees to oversee the running of and financial stability of the charity and a smaller board of advisers with specific medical knowledge to ensure sound medical direction of the projects.

Each project has an in-country office and a team overseen by the in-country project manager. A volunteer doctor from the UK gives leadership, advice and guidance to the project and also makes regular visits. CAI works from local needs-assessment data and consults with healthcare workers and civil society to assess the hospital's and community's problems to see how the project can best achieve sustainable changes.

Partnerships

CAI works with other partner organisations in the following ways:

The Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG): provides training course development and the education of nurses, doctors, traditional birth attendants, village health workers and hospital cleaners
World Health Organisation: provides in-country guidance on implementation and logistics.

CAI also works alongside the Ministry for Health to ensure in-country support, renovation of emergency healthcare facilities and the establishment of on-going systems to provide emergency drugs, medical supplies and staff.

The HIV/AIDs Orphans Outreach Project in Uganda works with the Ministry of Health and District Director of Health Services in close collaboration with the Kayunga Hospital. The World Food Programme has also assisted with food provision.

Impact Achieved

From the outset CAI has aimed to produce programmes which are sustainable and replicable. The EMNCH programme is well established in Pakistan and is now being developed in a second division of The Gambia.

By training selected local healthcare workers to become in-country instructors, CAI has ensured that knowledge will remain and develop within the country. In Pakistan, the project has now become self-sustaining.

During 2004-2006, 302 doctors and nurses from across Pakistan were trained
217 doctors, nurses and midwives and 83 Traditional Birth Attendants from The Gambia have been trained
Between May 2007 and March 2008, 91 patients, mostly women in labour, were stabilised and transported to hospital by the Flying Squad emergency ambulance in Brikama, The Gambia.
Feedback from log book analysis shows a 90% survival rates amongst patients, mothers and children resuscitated using skills acquired during training;
With the HIV outreach project, recent monitoring indicates that, between December 2007 and June 2008 in the Kayunga area of Uganda, 1,396 community members attended HIV/AIDs 'sensitisation' sessions in rural areas.

Contact

For further information please contact:

Kelley Parfitt, Fundraiser,
Email: Kelley@caiuk.org