One of our community health groups in Uganda, helping mothers, their babies and other women to survive and thrive in a happy, healthy society.
Our vision is a world where all women, children and young people can survive and thrive.
We do this by bringing communities together in life-saving health groups.
A woman strokes her bump in a community in Malawi
Every 2 minutes a woman dies in pregnancy, childbirth or shortly after.
The problems are preventable. The diseases are treatable.
Women and Children First works around the world, implementing community health groups in some of the most rural, remote areas.
These groups can halve maternal mortality and reduce newborn mortality by a third.
A community health group meets in Uganda, discussing issues and deciding important action while the sun starts to set.
Community health groups save lives.
We set up health groups with our in-country partners, which are led by the communities themselves.
Groups follow a highly-effective methodology and address issues relating to pregnancy and childbirth, family planning services, or sexual and reproductive health.
The groups give women and communities control over their own health. They are cost-effective, and sustainable.
What we do
Our team are specialists in community mobilisation. The charity helps communities form health groups, which come together to identify womens’ barriers to good health.
The group works together to implement effective solutions.
The groups are facilitated by local women, who are trained in leading a group. In this way, we build capacity and skills in the communities where we work.
A team in Tanzania trained on how to run community health groups.
Over 20 years of effective impact
We have delivered community health groups across Africa, Latin America, and South Asia for over 20 years, in partnership with local organisations.
5,000 groups have saved over 6,500 lives, reaching 12,000,000 people across 13 different countries.
Women and Children First is currently delivering projects in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Uganda.
A community health group leader talks through how the radio works
We have been developing radio programmes in Malawi.
The broadcasts encourage teenage girls and young women to have discussions about the sexual and reproductive health issues they face - and how they can overcome them.
These groups act as listening clubs. The young women gather around a radio – provided by our project partner – to listen to programmes and engage in meaningful dialogue around the important issues raised each week.
With our supporters help, we will roll out further radio programming and new episodes. We will set-up 280 new groups across Ntchisi district, reaching thousands of girls.
© Women & Children First (UK)
Registered Charity No. 1085096
Registered Office: Women and Children First, 483 Green Lanes, London, N13 4BS
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7700 6309 | E-mail: info@womenandchildrenfirst.org.uk
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