Abstract
Objective: The Pregnancy and Village Outreach Tibet (PAVOT) program, a model for community- and home-based maternal-newborn outreach in rural Tibet, is presented.
Methods: This article describes PAVOT, including the history, structure, content, and activities of the program, as well as selected program outcome measures and demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and pregnancy outcomes of women who recently participated in the program.
Results: The PAVOT program was developed to provide health-related services to pregnant rural Tibetan women at risk of having an unattended home birth. The program involves training local healthcare workers and laypersons to outreach pregnant women and family members. Outreach includes basic maternal-newborn health education and simple obstetric and neonatal life-saving skills training. In addition, the program distributes safe and clean birth kits, newborn hats, blankets, and maternal micronutrient supplements (eg, prenatal vitamins and minerals). More than 980 pregnant women received outreach during the study period. More than 92% of outreach recipients reported receiving safe pregnancy and birth education, clean birthing and uterine massage skills instruction, and clean umbilical cord care training. Nearly 80% reported basic newborn resuscitation skills training. Finally, nearly 100% of outreach recipients received maternal micronutrient supplements and safe and clean birth kits.
Conclusion: The PAVOT program is a model program that has been proven to successfully provide outreach to rural-living Tibetans by delivering maternal-newborn health education, skills training, and resources to the home.