Five minutes with...Susan Newson, maternal child health adviser, Cambodia
Nurse Susan Newson had always wanted to volunteer, and after working as a health visitor in the UK she felt the time was right to apply to VSO. She’s putting her skills to good use in Cambodia, a country with some of the highest maternal and neonatal death rates in South East Asia. Here, halfway through her two year placement, Susan describes her work and why she thinks VSO’s approach to fighting to poverty is so powerful.
Why is the Cambodian health system in such a bad way?
Primarily health messages just aren’t getting through to communities, and as a result the Cambodian people’s knowledge and understanding of preventative health care is minimal. Health Centres are often built miles from the rural communities they serve, so there is a real access issue, which makes it difficult to pass on information. There is also a great problem with unlicensed pharmaceuticals being sold by untrained members of the community, and because of the shortage of staff after the war, some health centres are filled with nurses and midwives who are not sufficiently trained.
What are Cambodians’ attitudes towards healthcare?
People here are very wary of health centres. In the past they had to pay, sometimes quite a lot of money, to get help and consequently they only turn to them as a last resort. As a result, maternal and neonatal death rates are severely high. There’s a significant threat posed by television and powdered milk companies. They are encouraging mothers to abandon breastfeeding and waste what little money they have on formula milk. I’m trying to combat these problems, and things are slowly changing. It’s vital to let Cambodians know about the services and support available to them.
Can you give any examples of the improvements you’ve made so far?
Well, I’ve worked hard to improve the use of partographs in health centres. They are really important in helping midwives monitor a woman’s labour so they can decide when it is necessary to refer women on to the hospital. I’ve also focused on setting up mothers’ classes in a few health centres around Kratie province. They help to educate mothers about breastfeeding, but also encourage patients to come back for routine care rather than simply using the centres in an emergency.
Tell me more about how and why you’re encouraging mothers to breastfeed.
Breastfeeding at birth is an incredibly important practice as it helps keep newborn babies warm, is a source of great nutritional value, and increases the likelihood of breastfeeding later on. Unfortunately it isn’t talked about by midwives or female family members so new mums know nothing about it. However, thanks to a grant from a VSO donor, we’ve been able to buy a DVD player and DVD, which advises women of the benefits of breastfeeding and the best and most comfortable way to do so. New mothers are learning things they never knew and are putting it into practice.
Do you think that your placement has helped you develop personally?
I’ve made fantastic friends and built up really good relationships with the people I’m working with! That may not sound a lot, but I’ve come to realise that everything is dependent on relationships – if you are not trusted then your advice means nothing. I now have a whole different perspective of life and my perception of society has changed.
What do you think of VSO’s approach to tackling poverty?
I really like VSO and the fact that we’re on the ground rather than just throwing money at issues. Thanks to my placement I have a bigger idea of how things work and a better understanding of the flaws in development work! VSO remembers that money alone is not a solution to poverty, and I think that sharing skills is integral to sustainable development. As long as there are skilled people who are willing to share their experience, I believe that VSO can be extremely powerful.
