We target the over 70% maternal deaths which are preventable and treatable if women have access to skilled and affordable healthcare services in communities. We at SDSM ensure this by training frontline skilled birth attendants and community health workers with essential and life-saving skills. We train them to address the leading global causes of maternal deaths; postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and infectious diseases and equip them to provide family planning services in rural and remote communities. To date, we have trained over 1000 frontline community health workers and skilled birth attendants positively impacting over 350,000 annual pregnancies and deliveries across the Punjab province and Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan.

Our capacity building programs cater to low literacy levels, address the social determinants of health that perpetuate inequities and target socio-economic challenges faced by communities. Our curriculums are designed to equip health staff with skilled and affordable clinical techniques for low-resource communities, such as providing safe delivery kits and teaching methods to prevent Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) that cost under $3.

We develop customized pictorial tools in local languages for health workers to counsel patients and their families to overcome local customs and beliefs which prevent community acceptance and uptake. Our taught methods and techniques are integrated by skilled birth attendants into their clinical practice at no additional cost and results in high uptake by skilled birth attendants at primary healthcare facilities. Our community-centered approach most directly reduces preventable maternal deaths and increases acceptance and use of contraceptives.