Supporting Healthier -- and Happier -- Pregnancies in Jordan

AMMAN, Jordan — A year after her miscarriage, Sabah was overcome with fear and despair. She suddenly remembered the hospital she went to after having abdominal pains in the sixth month of her first pregnancy, and the doctor telling her the child was dead.

With her second pregnancy, everything around her seemed so different. Sabah (23) and her husband Ali (25), had just moved from Syria to Jordan, where they hoped to find jobs, build a new future and start a family. But fear was eroding her optimism.

“What if I lose my baby this time again,” she asked herself over and over. Tears took her breath away.

In desperation, Sabah felt an urgent need to talk to somebody. She was fortunate enough to confide in her neighbour, Sheikha. Upon learning about Sabah’s fears, Sheikha told her about a centre where she could get support. Sabah followed Sheikha’s advice.

The Institute for Family Health provides a range of services related to the care of mothers and their children, including medical and psychological counselling, as well as awareness building. With the continuous support of various donors, including UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, the Italian Association of Women, the Government of Jordan and the European Union, services are reaching most of the population in the region around Amman.

After hearing Sabah’s story and confirming her pregnancy, the Institute’s health counsellor referred her to specialists in prenatal care. As she started to talk about her fears with the counsellor and with other women with similar problems, these fears started to disappear.

The experience made Sabah secure enough to look forward to another pregnancy. “I will definitely continue having children now, because I know that there is a safe place where the atmosphere is friendly and positive, and where professionals will take care of me and my child,” said Sabah while holding her infant daughter, Fatima, in her hands. Sabah goes to the Institue regularly for medical checkups for her baby and to keep up to date with the centre’s activities. She shares this information with her neighbours.

The Institute, located in Sweilleh, a neighbourhood of Amman, provide services to the local community and to five surrounding villages, reaching a total of approximately 100,000 people. The centre provides:

• Preventive and curative services addressing the medical, social, psychological and legal needs of women in different stages of their lives;
• Awareness raising activities on family planning, reproductive health, male involvement and legal issues;
• Services to the underserved areas; and
• Support for the victims of gender-based violence.

Pregnancy and childbirth in developing countries are always risky – one woman dies every minute from pregnancy related causes. The maternal mortality ratio in Jordan is 41 per 100,000 live births, and infant mortality is 26 per 1,000 live births. “That is why this initiative is so important and why UNFPA is working to transfer this good practice to other regions of Jordan and to other countries where such problems exist,” said Muna Idris, UNFPA Assistant Representative in Jordan.

Maternal deaths are preventable. Key interventions include family planning to prevent unintended pregnancies, skilled attendance at all births and timely emergency obstetric care in case of all complications. Although there may have been no way to prevent the sad outcome of Sabah’s first pregnancy, the antenatal care and supportive counselling she now has access to can make a big difference for mothers.

By raising awareness of the risks of pregnancy and supporting appropriate medical interventions, centres like Jordan’s Institute for Family Health can reduce the risk of maternal and infant mortality. Improving maternal health and reducing child death are two of the eight Millennium Development Goals – the internationally endorsed roadmap for reducing poverty and improving lives.

A new partnership launched by UNFPA and its partners emphasizes the close link between the health of mothers and their children. The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health will mobilize additional global and local commitment and actions to reduce deaths among mothers and children, promote universal coverage of essential interventions, and advocate for increased resources for these efforts.

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