As a physician in Burkina Faso, I have worked for more than 30 years to help ensure that the people of my country have access to the health care they need. I have often looked at the big picture—working to strengthen my country’s national policies on malaria, child survival, prevention of HIV/AIDS and family planning (FP). But I haven’t always looked closer to home.
Lunch would have to wait.
Midwife Pauline Mukabasinga was just about ready to enjoy her midday meal on Monday, February 6, when a nurse she worked with at Kabarore Health Center called for her assistance. It was urgent.
In a chilly postnatal ward at the Ambohidroa District Hospital, Mamy Rasoahariniaina wrapped her day-old son in a cotton cloth. She added a woolen hat, swaddled her newborn in a blanket and held him close in a warm embrace.
