Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 17 April 2023. The national course for facilitators in obstetric emergencies began in Santa Cruz de la Sierra with the Ministry of Health and Sports, facilitators from the Latin American Centre for Perinatology - Women's and Reproductive Health (CLAP/WR), and support from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (OPS/OMS). Representatives from the nine departments of the country participated.
The course aims to improve the quality of care for pregnant women and reduce maternal deaths in Bolivia by strengthening medical personnel responsible for obstetric services at all levels of care.
This course is part of the Improving the Health of Women and Adolescents in Vulnerable Situations Project, implemented by PAHO/WHO, with support from the Ministries of Health, thanks to funding from Global Affairs Canada
During the welcome and introduction to the course, Dr. Erick Rousselin, international advisor of Family, Health Promotion and Life Course of PAHO, highlighted the importance of the permanent updating process to improve the quality of care for pregnant women.
For his part, the representative of the Ministry of Health and Health, Dr. Franco J. Espada Flores, responsible for Maternal Health, expressed the relevance of the course for health service providers and the process of building facilitators for future replications on Obstetric Emergencies by the trained staff, as well as the respective monitoring.
During the workshop, the current situation of maternal mortality in Bolivia was analysed. CLAP/SMR, through the international advisor on Maternal Health, Dr. Claudio Sosa, presented "Zero maternal deaths due to haemorrhage" as a successful precedent, and referred to the organisation of services for the response to obstetric emergencies.
The course reviewed all aspects of improving obstetric services, including human factors (non-technical skills).
The course also had workstations on obstetric emergencies: Cerebro-cardiopulmonary resuscitation by Dr. Mauricio Vasc; Maternal sepsis by Dr. Claudio Sosa; Pre-eclampsia by Dr. Nicolas Martino; Non-pneumatic anti-shock suit; Hydrostatic balloons / Conservative surgeries (B-Lynch); and Bundling / damage control.
