WHO, with the support of donors and partners, recognizes women around the world who are receiving and delivering essential health care. From delivering vaccinations in remote areas to providing mental health care and advice in areas considered taboo, the women in these WHO stories represent pillars of strength and hope in global health care.
Stories from Derna, Libya, tell of Dr. Shaftar’s commitment to providing emergency spiritual help to survivors of recent floods. The story of a Ghanaian mother being treated for schizophrenia highlights the work of WHO and its partners to improve access to mental health care in Ghana.
In remote areas of Latin America, health care workers trained in Western medicine and traditional midwives are coming together for “knowledge dialogues” to improve coordination and foster trust within and beyond technology spaces.
We also share the stories of women like Salma from South Sudan and Natalia from Ukraine, who represent the many people living with NCDs who are forced to leave their homes and the people they depend on during emergencies. care. Stories and videos from Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Rwanda show women leaders promoting WHO’s work with partners to improve vaccination access and increase screening to eliminate viral infections such as hepatitis C.
Salma’s road to recovery: Coping with postpartum cancer in a refugee camp
Salma reflects on the challenges of accessing cancer care and surgery from the Athens refugee camp. © World Health Organization
Salma and her husband fled South Sudan’s civil war while she was pregnant with their first child. They landed in Athens, Greece, where she gave birth in a maternity hospital. While in the hospital, doctors discovered a lump in her breast. Because she did not have a temporary Social Security number, the biopsy could not be performed.
She told how staff from the National Public Health Organization (NPHO) working in the Histo refugee and migrant camp in Athens liaised with the NGO Medical Volunteers International (MVI) and referred her to a non-governmental organization that supported Salma’s medical check-up. Government organizations. She was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer, but with the help of MVI, she had breast surgery and was given a temporary Social Security number for further treatment.
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Displacement triggers heart disease: Natalia’s care story
A Ukrainian heart attack survivor has thanked Moldovan doctors for providing life-saving treatment after the stress of displacement caused dangerous high blood pressure. © World Health Organization
Natalia, who was living in Podolsk, Ukraine, with her daughter and four grandchildren when the explosions began, was forced to leave her hometown and travel more than 12 hours to Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
“The night we decided to leave, we were bombarded. We had to leave in such a hurry that my daughter didn’t have time to dress 4 kids. We didn’t have time to pack. I brought some medications, but not all, ” she said of the medication she took after her heart attack.
The stress of the trip, the situation in Ukraine, the constant concern for her family and the difficulty of starting a new life in a foreign country caused Natalia’s blood pressure to rise to dangerously high levels, reaching 220/160 by the time she arrived at her destination. The hospital immediately performed surgery on her.
“I’m grateful that I get the same treatment as Moldovan citizens. “The doctors here saved my life. ”
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Traditional Midwives: Combining ancestral knowledge of Western medicine to save lives and heal the wounded
María Mercedes Muenara (left) and a group of traditional midwives from Otavalo, Ecuador, receive training from the Pan American Health Organization on the use of biomedical tools to complement ancestral practices. ©World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization
Since 2021, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), with support from the Government of Canada, has been working with more than a thousand traditional midwives in rural and remote communities in Latin America to provide them with knowledge of warning signs and help them prevent maternal infections. and neonatal death.
“Previously, when they had abdominal pain, we thought it was just ‘bad air’ without investigating further, and the pregnant woman’s condition worsened. With the knowledge we have gained, we can now identify gallbladder problems and even appendicitis.” If not treated immediately , can be fatal. ” explains Mercedes Panamantamba, a traditional midwife in Ecuador.
“Midwives identify warning signs through all the sounds a woman’s body makes. But the technology of the pinard stethoscope and tape measure helps identify warning signs at the right time, and that’s where the two medicines come together,” Manuela The woman said Mosquera was one of the leaders of the Association of Interethnic Midwives in Chocó Province.
When knowledge transfer occurs in a space of trust that respects the autonomy of traditional knowledge, it is possible to find common ground between Western and ancestral medicine.
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Expanding and improving mental health care services in Ghana
© World Health Organization
In 2021, Ghana was one of nine countries selected for the WHO Director-General’s Special Initiative on Mental Health. By training clinicians to detect, diagnose and treat mental health disorders early, Ghana is improving the quality of care provided to patients at the primary health care level.
It is estimated that more than 2.4 million people in Ghana suffer from various mental health problems, 98% of whom still lack access to medications and qualified service providers. The lack of treatment and associated stigma means people often turn to psychotherapists or avoid any help.
Diana Adom* is one of many Ghanaians who finally received the mental health care she needed – in her case, medication to treat schizophrenia. “It’s hard for me to even walk out of the room when people insult me. My children are teased and called ‘crazy women’s children,'” she said.
WHO is also working with the UK Department of Health and Social Care to support Ghana in improving the mental health and psychosocial support skills of 394 people and strengthening existing support systems in schools, health facilities and communities.
*Names have been changed to protect identity
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Nurses like Josephine played an important role in eliminating hepatitis in Rwanda
Nurse Josephine Uwishooreye works in a primary health care center in Rwanda. © World Health Organization
Rwanda was one of seven countries assessed and selected by the World Health Organization in 2018 to pilot programs aimed at eliminating hepatitis. Rwanda is on track to meet its own goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2024, exceeding the 2030 target deadline set by the World Health Organization.
After screening more than 7 million people and treating 60,000 cases, hepatitis C prevalence in Rwanda dropped to less than 1%. Much of this success is due to the many nurses who are trained to screen and treat simple cases at the primary health care level. Nurses such as Marie Rose Kwitonda and Josephine Uwishooreye said the training allowed them to help patients who would otherwise have to wait for a doctor.
“WHO has been working alongside the Rwandan government since the launch of the national elimination plan in 2018,” said Dr. Muhayimpundu Ribakare, WHO Hepatitis Program Officer in Rwanda.
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Meet Dr Sumaya Shaftar to provide emergency mental health support to people affected by floods in Derna, Libya
Mental health expert Dr. Sumaya Shaftar works to help survivors in Delma, Libya
When Storm Daniel hit Libya in September 2023, cities such as Derna were devastated when dams collapsed in nearby mountains. The unleashed torrent flattened entire city blocks and swept away entire families.
In response, WHO began working with local health authorities to set up mental health clinics staffed by experts to help traumatized survivors cope with grief, anxiety and loss.
One such expert is Dr. Sumaya Shaftar, who works at a primary health care center in Derna, Libya. “When I first entered Derna, three weeks after the floods, I saw some people reopening their shops and starting to move around the city to meet their needs. But I didn’t see ordinary people on the streets People. Instead, I saw bodies moving, expressions that didn’t express sadness, anger, joy, or any emotion. They were expressionless.”
She said Libyan people are not used to seeking mental health services. Another challenge they face is transportation. Flooding destroyed many roads, bridges and cars.
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U.S. provides four mobile vaccination clinics to increase vaccination coverage in remote areas of Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Charge d’Affaires Michelle Y. Outlaw hands over four Toyota Land Cruiser mobile vaccination clinics to Lao Ministry of Health representative Dr. Souphaphone Sadettan. ©World Health Organization/Soudaphone Viravongsa
The U.S. government has donated four Toyota Land Cruiser-based mobile vaccination clinics to district health teams in Bokeo, Luang Prabang, Phongsaly and Huaphan provinces, which will significantly improve access to vaccines in more than 300 remote villages Opportunities for vaccinations and other outreach services.
These high-risk populations struggle with limited access to health care. Healthcare workers face long distances, poor road conditions, flooding and mountainous terrain when reaching these locations.
“I am pleased to see these vehicles being made available to help ensure that medical teams and health care services can reach where they are needed most and reach places that are not reached,” said Dr. Riko Otsu, Acting WHO Representative of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
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WHO is grateful to the governments, organizations and individuals who contribute to the work of the Organization, and is especially grateful to those who contribute with full flexibility to keep WHO strong and independent.
Interethnic Association of Midwives of Chocó Province
Libyan Ministry of Health
Medical Volunteers International (MVI)
Midwives in the municipality of El Alto
National Public Health Organization (NPHO)
Canada
Ghana
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Rwanda
united states of america
UK Department of Health and Social Care