Recently we had the opportunity, in collaboration with Amref International University, to sponsor a webinar for the National Nurses Association of Kenya. The topic of discussion was Improving Maternal-Fetal Outcomes Through Access to Point-of-Care Ultrasound.
Dr. Micah Matiang’i set the stage by reminding the audience of the following statistics (1,2):
• Globally, a woman dies every 2 minutes due to pregnancy related complications
• 70% of global maternal deaths occur in the Sub-Saharan Africa region
• 90% of maternal deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa are preventable
He then turned the conversation to potential interventions that could make a difference in these numbers, sharing results from the Midwives Ultrasound Screening Project demonstrating that midwives using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in rural facilities are able to identify pregnancies at risk of complication before an emergency arises – successfully referring these cases for follow up.
Two objectives underlay the discussion. First, to reduce maternal deaths in Kenya by increasing the number of providers proficient in POCUS. And second, to increase education and employment opportunities that empower young women to serve as healthcare providers in their communities.
Dr. Matiang’i joined with Joseph Williamson, RDMS, to address questions ranging from specific applications of POCUS in maternal care to selection of POCUS devices and the process of becoming POCUS certified.
To learn more about the foundational and OB/GYN focused POCUS certifications described, explore the following POCUS Certification Academy offerings:
POCUS Fundamentals Certificate
POCUS Obstetrics First Trimester Certificate
POCUS Obstetrics Second/Third Trimester Certificate
POCUS Maternal Fetal Health Certification
U-image Fundamentals POCUS Package (Coming Soon!)
You may also want to learn more about additional maternal fetal health offerings within the larger Inteleos family:
Fetal Monitoring Certificate
Midwife Sonography Certificate
Fetal Echocardiography (FE)
Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN)
References
- Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020: estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UNDESA/Population Division
- Maternal Mortality, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality, accessed June 13, 2024
Joseph Williamson is a Clinical Consultant for Inteleos.
