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Organization	One Heart Worldwide
Region	Nepal
Website	Website
Facebook	Facebook
Twitter	@Twitter
ProjectLeader	Michaela Hayes

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Nepal has incredibly high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality resulting from preventable issues such as severe bleeding, infections, high blood pressure, birth asphyxia (lack of oxygen at birth), and complications related to preterm birth. One Heart Worldwide is addressing these high rates of mortality by creating a "Network of Safety" around pregnant women and their newborns to combat these very preventable causes through the training of skilled professionals and facility upgrades.

Challenge

In Nepal, the current official maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is 258 per 100,000 live births and the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) is 21 per 1000 births.The three main causes of maternal deaths are severe bleeding; infections; and high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia).The three main causes of neonatal deaths are infections, birth asphyxia (lack of oxygen at birth), and complications related to preterm birth. Most of these deaths are preventable with simple interventions and training.

Long-Term Impact

The OHW model includes local political, cultural and religious stakeholders as well as other local organizations (mothers' groups, NGOs, teachers) in the planning and implementation of the network of safety. We specifically train local community oversight committees to oversee proper program implementation, thereby creating a sense of community ownership of the program. The committees serve to oversee the proper utilization of each certified health center.