From Womb to the World - Build a Maternity Hospital in Bangladesh - Fundraising Team

Event dates: Sunday 10th March – Wednesday 17th April

Maa has been successfully running primary maternal care clinics for expectant mothers in Bangladesh for the past few years. Maa is embarking on a new project, to ensure it cares for its mothers, from beginning to end. 

Maa has a unique opportunity to establish an Obstetrics department within a hospital. The initiative aims to offer complementary check ups, natural deliveries.

Currently, healthcare in Bangladesh involves costs, but Maa has already made strides by providing free services through three clinics and a natural birthing center. Our vision is to extend our reach into secondary care. Maa clinics are renowned for providing five-star services to mothers at no cost in Bangladesh. However, once patients are referred to secondary care outside of Maa, they encounter paid services with a noticeable drop in the level of care. Unfortunately, profit-driven practices in many hospitals in Bangladesh often lead to unnecessary c-sections, irrespective of medical necessity. 

By establishing an obstetrics department, Maa aims to offer women the care they deserve. Funds raised will be allocated towards purchasing life-saving and general equipment for the department.  
Globally, there has been a rise in unnecessary caesarean sections (C-Sections). 

C-Sections are an important intervention at the time of labour, for both mother and child. 

However, evidence shows that more and more women are undergoing C-Sections, for a variety of non-medical reasons, such as convenience and at the preference of the mother’s partner or relatives. 

Evidence shows that women who attend antenatal appointments, gain more confidence in identifying changes within themselves and reduce apprehension towards labour, as well as reduced likelihood of opting for a C-Section. 
 
At Maa's Obstetrics department, we will be able to accommodate antenatal checks, maternal education classes, a fully equipped maternity ward and birthing suites. Through our care and education provided by our highly-skilled doctors, we want to empower women to make decisions that are best for them and their baby, as well as provide them with a safe place to deliver like Maa's Obstetrics department. 
 
A little bit about Maa!

Maa has a vision to revolutionise the maternal healthcare system in developing countries, for good. We believe that by giving mothers free and accessible care, we can change the life journey of not only that mother but her children. 

On a medical trip to Bangladesh, Dr Aqil Jaigirdar, the founder of MAA, witnessed the reality of maternal health in rural areas. He saw a mother bleeding to death in an operating theatre following a caesarean birth, and her new-born unable to breathe. He remembered the strong feelings of helplessness as he witnessed this tragedy, and it was this experience that drove Aqil to make a difference. Upon his return to the UK, he started MAA, which aims to improve healthcare in Bangladesh so that similar cases are avoided. We currently have three clinics open in Bangladesh and have recently opened one in Afghanistan where we provide antenatal checks including blood pressure measurements, urinalysis, blood glucose tests and consultations with a supply of medication free of charge. We hope our interventions extend further than these countries and that out evidence based approaches reduce pregnancy related complications. 

OneMaa is at the core of our revolution- it is a primary healthcare model which emphasises the following:

• Educated Communities
• Specialised Workforce
• Connected Healthcare System

OneMaa will be powered by our novel digital health platform, Gravida, that uses technology and training to save the lives of pregnant women in rural Bangladesh.
At our clinics, we provide:

• Medical Consultations with Maa-trained Doctors
• Essential Medication and Equipment
• Emergency Care Services

The Hubs also provide a 24/7 telemedicine service, ensuring the mothers we support have access to our doctors at any time.
 
We hope to replicate this model throughout the developing world, to ensure all mothers have access to the care they need.
 
The money raised from this campaign will go towards helping mothers in our Obstetrics department.