Supporting Mothers at the Roof of the World

97% of Tibetan women give birth unattended in a region of extreme poverty and a long history of violence. In 2004, COHI responded by conducting an in-depth needs assessment resulting in the training of local midwives in Nagchu, Tibet, in collaboration with The Tibet Poverty Alleviation Fund (TPAF.) Over two years COHI recruited participants, developed curricula, and trained midwives on basic maternal health as well as trained village doctors on emergency obstetric care. The program's success was determined through intensive monitoring and evaluation during the summer of 2006 and positive feedback from the local Ministry of Health and NGOs. Future programming is currently being developed with local partnerships in hopes to establish a women's clinic and a birth center to train midwives.