Rabeya Begum (24) and her husband are persons with disabilities. Rabeya, who walks with a limp, lives with her husband, 8-month-old son and parents-in-law in a remote village in Teligati Union of Morelganj Upazila of Bagerhat district.
During her fourth month of pregnancy, Rabeya’s MUAC was 20.1 cm, which is slightly shorter than usual. At that time, she knew little about antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) services. She did not know when to start eating nutritious food, when to take iron folic acid tablets or calcium supplements for pregnant women, for how long to take them, what the benefits would be, or where to get them.
Since both the husband and wife are persons with disabilities, they require inclusive and accessible pathways to government health facilities. In this regard, PPEPP-EU’s Nutrition and Primary Health Care component’s staff kept Rabeya Begum under regular observation. They regularly measured Rabeya’s MUAC, weight, height, blood pressure and haemoglobin level and provided necessary guidance. She was also linked to the nearest Union Health and Family Welfare Centre and received four ANC visits, as well as iron-folic acid and calcium supplements.
Due to proper care and attention during pregnancy, Rabeya Begum’s MUAC increased to 22.1 cm at 9 months. Then, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy through institutional delivery, weighing 2.6 kg at birth. Within 24 hours of giving birth, Rabeya Begum underwent a PNC checkup through a local clinic. Within 42 days of giving birth, she completed four PNCs. In addition, the project provided regular physical checkups and necessary counselling to Rabeya and her son. She took iron tablets for 3 months after delivery, continued eating nutritious food and adding two extra handfuls to each meal, drank adequate water, and felt worry-free. Both Rabeya and her son are currently healthy. Her dream is to ensure a healthy and beautiful future for her son.
She said, “Neither my husband nor I knew what kind of care was needed when becoming a mother. With the support of the PPEPP-EU project, I have a healthy baby, and I am healthy too. Now I know what to do if I have another baby in the future.”
Maternal nutrition and ANC/PNC care are essential to ensure the good health of pregnant and lactating mothers and their newborns. Proper nutrition and healthcare play a role in the long-term physical and mental development of the child, as well as the well-being of the mother and child.
To ensure maternal nutrition and healthcare in the PPEPP-EU project, the project’s technical officers and CNHPs regularly provide nutrition and healthcare to pregnant and lactating mothers. They provide necessary maternal nutrition and healthcare by ensuring ANC and PNC services for pregnant and lactating mothers through health facility visits and satellite clinics. The project officers also conduct regular sessions at the Prosperity Village Committee (PVC), the Mother and Child Forum, and the Social Development Centre to raise awareness of proper dietary habits, ensure production of household-level nutritious food sources, and establish linkages with government healthcare facilities. In addition, Safe Motherhood Day, Breastfeeding Week, and National Nutrition Week are celebrated to raise awareness of maternal nutrition and healthcare in the community.