Save the Mother and Child

In 2005, Karuna-Shechen launched Mapu Tsenying  (literally “tender care to the mother and child”) or Save the Mother and Child program (MCH) in eastern Tibet.  This is a family and community based education program in maternal and newborn health (MCH) and pre-natal, birth, and post-natal care.

The program uses dolls, illustrated booklets, and DVDs in Tibetan and Chinese to explain methods for safer pregnancy and delivery. It has produced a video in three Tibetan dialects (Amdo, Kham and Lhasa) and a cartoon-like teaching booklet in Tibetan and Chinese.

The team has trained pregnant mothers, whole families, and local medical staff throughout eastern Tibet. They distributed 6,000 booklets and 1,600 DVDs. Several hundred plastic baby-dolls for training purposes. birth kits, and medicines were given to trainers.

One hundred health workers have received training through this program, resulting in safer pregnancies and lower infant mortality rates. Since 2009, local health authorities have been implementing this program in most of the districts where we had promoted it.