Progress made in rebuilding Indonesia’s health care system one year after the tsunami:
Johns Hopkins affiliate Jhpiego reestablishes services to women and families in Aceh
20 December 2005
(Also available: Video news release)
Baltimore, Md. – On December 26, 2004 a pregnant
woman clung to a mango tree as a tsunami devastated Aceh, Indonesia and took the lives of her
husband and four children along with the lives of over 100,000 others. Less than 12 hours later,
trained midwife Bidan Mutia delivered the woman's healthy baby in the only shelter available, a
closet. Bidan Mutia, mother and child all survived to tell their story to Dr. Leslie Mancuso,
President and CEO of Jhpiego, during her visit in Indonesia less than a month after the tragedy.
Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, has had a major role in
supporting the revitalization of the health care system in Aceh. They built a key partnership
with the Aceh chapter of the Indonesian Midwives Association (IBI) to reestablish midwifery
services. According to the IBI, nearly 600 midwives from Aceh were killed, missing or lost their
practices during the tsunami, representing a large portion of the health care practitioners in a
region where midwives provide 80-90% of maternal and newborn care in both the public and private
sector.
Immediately after the tsunami struck, Jhpiego’s Jakarta-based staff began assisting
the IBI to relocate midwives from provinces throughout Indonesia to fill in the health service gaps
in Aceh resettlement camps and the remaining health centers. Over 100 volunteers provided services
for prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum, newborn care, immunizations and contraceptive
services.
"Jhpiego was honored to be such a large part of the relief efforts after the tsunami.
We've maintained health care programs focused on women and families in Indonesia for over 30 years.
Because of our close working relationships with the Ministry of Health, nongovernmental
organizations, and local professionals and business groups, we were well-poised to help with
emergency healthcare relief and now with a long-term strategy for a new health care infrastructure,"
comments Dr. Mancuso.
Over the past year, Jhpiego and its partners have continued the relief efforts of
the public and private sector health care system. They are rebuilding and repairing community
health clinics and midwifery schools, providing updated equipment and overseeing staff training
to ensure high-quality services and compliance to national standards. More than 200 midwives have
been trained in normal delivery care. Likewise, 73 private sector midwives have received equipment,
supplies and training to resume their livelihoods. Thousands of free service vouchers were
distributed to women living in camps; 65% have been redeemed.
Grants from three private sector partners,
Johnson & Johnson,
ExxonMobil
and Unocal,
will further help Jhpiego accomplish the goal of reestablishing and strengthening midwifery
services in Aceh. Currently, Jhpiego and J&J are working together to reestablish the capacity of
health providers and services within three villages hardest hit by the tsunami. J&J funds also
helped to re-equip an important, busy delivery ward at Zainal Abidin Hospital, the largest referral
center in Aceh. ExxonMobil's Educating Women and Girls initiative will support Jhpiego’s work
in faculty development and educational improvements at North Aceh Health Academy. The project
includes teaching and technical training, and updating and improving the reference library,
skills laboratory and clinical practice sites, as well as the development of an educational
exchange program with a more established midwifery school. The Unocal Foundation grant will
contribute to the revitalization of Ingin Jaya Sub-district (Aceh Besar District) by
strengthening health services in one "mukim" consisting of seven villages with a population
of 4,000. The community will be involved in all planning and decisions to ensure community
ownership of the health services.
"A midwife is the village's first point of contact for primary care and referral. The education
of new and practicing midwives is one of the key factors in reestablishing and improving quality
health care in Indonesia. Jhpiego is committed to bringing the best services possible to the
women and children of this region," concluded Mancuso.
About Jhpiego
For 35 years, Jhpiego, (pronounced "ja-pie-go"), has empowered front-line health
workers by designing and implementing simple, low-cost, hands-on solutions that
strengthen the delivery of health care services, following the
household-to-hospital continuum of care. We partner with community- to
national-level organizations to build sustainable, local capacity through
advocacy, policy and guidelines development, and quality and performance
improvement approaches.
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