To make sure that pregnant women use the maternal and newborn health services in the nearby health facility, the Department of Health (DOH), local government units, WHO, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) are strengthening community engagement in the Davao Region through the formation of Team Ds.
A different kind of "hero" squad is helping save the lives of mothers and children in remote villages in Davao Occidental. Called the "Team D", the group is composed of barangay officials, purok leaders, health workers, and non-traditional partners like tricycle drivers and representatives from the indigenous communities.
Coming from the Barangay Health Summit organized under the project with the World Health Organization in 2015, Team D members gained heightened awareness and commitment in improving the maternal and child health in their communities. By 2016, 54 out of 67 barangays in Davao Occidental had established Team Ds.
Social mobilization activities like the engagement of Team D members have helped health workers in ensuring that maternal and child health services in the barangay health stations and in the rural health units are utilized. Before Team D was created, pregnant women rarely visited the health centers on a regular basis.
"Pregnant mothers in our barangay used to only come for pre-natal check-up during the third trimester. We would later learn that the mothers ended up giving birth at their homes attended by hilots," shared Katalina Humang-it, a midwife from Barangay Basiawan in the town of Sta. Maria and a member of Team D.
All this changed when the Team Ds started to mobilize the different members of the community in the quest to ensure that no mother or child dies during birth. The Team Ds regularly embark on Bisita Buntis (Visit Pregnant Women) where they visit pregnant women in their homes or in the health centers and educate them on the benefits and importance of giving birth in a health facility.
"There have been a lot of changes in the barangays with the Team Ds doing Bisita Buntis, giving lectures and encouraging pregnant women to deliver at health facilities," Humang-it said. Before the formation of Team D, no pregnant women delivered at the Basiawan health center. In the first quarter of 2017, three women have safely given birth in the birthing facility.
Humang-it shared that they also instituted a checklist to make sure the pregnant women and her family are ready for the childbirth. The checklist includes ensuring transportation logistics, mother and baby bag containing essentials needed during delivery, pregnancy savings and identifying the person who shall take care of their home including the children when they are away at the health center.
Basiawan kagawad (councillor) on health Yolanda Treplaza said that with the help of Team D members, they were able to visit some of the farthest barrios in their barangay.
"Tricycle drivers volunteered as part of our Team D to fetch pregnant mothers especially in remote communities and ensure that they are delivered to the nearest health facility to give birth," Treplaza said.
A community tracking tool was also initiated to track pregnant women in their community and enable the barangay health workers to monitor and follow-up on them for prenatal check-ups and postpartum care. Humang-it said that they use the tracking tool to locate and identify those who have higher risks as well as the women who have unmet needs in family planning.
With the Team D, the pregnant women receive more attention not only from the health workers but also from the barangay officials.
Yolanda Treplaza, Sta. Maria barangay councillor
"The tracking tool is really helpful to us here at the health center. It has made the work of health workers easier," she said.
The change is observable with the increase in client visits, according to Kagawad Treplaza. "With the Team D, the pregnant women receive more attention not only from the health workers but also from the barangay officials," she said.
