Download Family Health Is Men`s Work, Too

health care. He was selected by the
project because he is respected by
the community—and because he
is a man. Health workers in Latin
America have found that men are
more likely to listen to other men,
especially about topics like women’s
health.
Family
Health
Is Men's Work, Too
M
iguel González Dávila’s wife,
Yadira Cantillana, had already
given birth to a daughter when the
Catholic Relief Services-supported
Child Survival project began in
Nicaragua. But the family did not
know that a maternity house was
within traveling distance, so Yadira
had little choice but to deliver her
daughter at home with a midwife.
expect pregnant women to take care
of their households throughout their
pregnancies, so it goes without saying
that the responsibility for caring for
newborns often falls squarely on a
woman’s shoulders.
Together, Yadira and Miguel learned
about their health care options. Each
time the couple met with project
staff, they learned more about how
to deliver a healthy baby and how
to care for their little one after he
or she has arrived. In fact, program
promoters insist that husbands and
wives agree on a birth plan before
the actual delivery. As Miguel
learned more about his family’s
needs, he realized that caring for
his family’s health was not solely
Yadira’s responsibility. “[Miguel] has
changed,” Yadira says. “Now he helps
me a lot with the baby.”
As husbands like Miguel become
more involved in family life, their
households become supportive
environments for raising children—
and other families are more likely to
follow their example. Health workers
in Nicaragua say that getting men
involved in maternal health has been
key to the program’s success. n
But when Yadira became pregnant
a second time, Miguel’s stepfather,
Félix Obregón, had some important
information to share. Félix was
Many women in rural areas of Latin working as a program promoter with
America give birth at home without a the Child Survival project, a CRSdoctor, prenatal checkups, postnatal supported effort that helps improve
the health of women and children in
care or health education. Poor
communities are often far away from remote areas of northern Nicaragua
the nearest health facility. Many men by involving men in their family’s
“Now he
helps me
a lot with
the baby.”
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