Maternal and infant mortality rates in rural Armenia are significantly higher than in the country’s urban centers. Through the NOVA 2 Project, IntraHealth International teams with lead partner RTI International and Save the Children to improve maternal and child health in these areas by introducing evidence-based practices and approaches at maternity hospitals.

With funding from the Open Society Institute, NOVA 2 is assembling and distributing 4,000 kits containing essential supplies to ensure healthy childbirth at project-supported rural health facilities. Each kit contains simple yet crucial items that will help health professionals reduce the likelihood of complications during pregnancy and childbirth:

• Disposable exam gloves to ensure proper infection prevention measures during delivery and the postpartum period
• A disposable mask and sheet to protect both health workers and patients from infections
• A syringe and 10cc of Oxytocin, to be administered to the mother after childbirth for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage, the leading cause of maternal mortality and disability in Armenia
• An alcohol swab to sterilize the site of injection and prevent local infections
• A sterile, single-use, easy-to-apply plastic cord clamp to hold the newborn umbilical cord safely
• A set of newborn clothes—including a cap, shirt, and pants with booties, rather than traditional swaddling—to prevent hypothermia and hyperthermia.

The project has already provided 1,200 kits to the Vedi Maternity Center and to the Talin, Sisian, and Vayk Medical Centers, for women who will be delivering during the upcoming months.