Potential for task-sharing to Lady Health Workers for identification and emergency management of pre-eclampsia at community level in Pakistan

Authors: Rehana A. Salam, Rahat Najam Qureshi, Sana Sheikh, Asif Raza Khowaja, Diane Sawchuck, Marianne Vidler, Peter von Dadelszen, Shujaat Zaidi and Zulfiqar Bhutta

An estimated 276 Pakistani women die for every 100,000 live births; with eclampsia accounting for about 10% of these deaths. Community health workers contribute to the existing health system in Pakistan under the banner of the Lady Health Worker (LHW) Programme and are responsible for providing a comprehensive package of antenatal services. However, there is a need to increase focus on early identification and promote diagnosis of pre-eclampsia in community settings, since women with mild pre-eclampsia often present without symptoms. This qualitative exploratory study aims to explore the potential for task-sharing to LHWs for the community-level management of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Pakistan.

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Resource Topic: Community Case Management, Reproductive Health/Family Planning, Task shifting

Resource Type: Research

Year: 2016

Region: Asia

Country: Pakistan