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Women who give birth in developing countries face risks that most Australian mothers do not.
Midwives from Melbourne's Frances Perry House recently spent four weeks working with new and expecting mothers in Tanzania, seeing first-hand the challenges women there must overcome.
The group of four - Christine Murphy, Eliza Strauss, Steph Tsesmetzis, and Megan Whittle - volunteered in a high-risk labour ward in Arusha, offering their combined 89 years' experience of nursing at the private maternity and women's health hospital.
Megan said the morbidity and mortality rates there were "tragic".
"They are in immense and ongoing need of improved clinical skills and equipment to better support the wellbeing and health of women, and their babies, during the birth process," she said.
The team of dedicated midwives met with dozens of patients, delivered babies, and provided education to local doctors and nurses on neonatal resuscitation, in a bid to improve outcomes for children born in the region.
Eliza said they also donated a range of supplies and an obstetric ultrasound machine to a local labour ward, which they had raised the money to purchase.
"We wanted to use some of our knowledge and skills toassistin a severely understaffed and under-resourcedmedical system," she said.
"We realise how fortunate we are to work in a level six hospital.
"We also wanted to witness firsthand the obstetric challenges in athird world countryandoffer someeducation to see if we could make even a small difference to maternal and neonatal outcomes."
The trip was sponsored by Frances Perry House's operator Ramsay Health Care as part of its Charity Challenge sponsorship program.
"Thank you to Ramsay so much for supporting us on this life-changing experience supporting women and teaching midwives and doctors in Tanzania," Megan said.
"We feel privileged to have been sponsored and share many skills and knowledge and feel reassured we made a positive difference while there."
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